bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two‐year outcomes of the ARTISAN‐SNM study for the treatment of urinary urgency incontinence using the Axonics rechargeable sacral neuromodulation system
Authors: Pezzella Andrea , McCrery Rebecca , Lane Felicia , Benson Kevin , Taylor Chris , Padron Osvaldo , Blok Bertil , de Wachter Stefan , Gruenenfelder Jennifer , Pakzad Mahreen , Perrouin‐Verbe Marie‐Aimee , van Kerrebroeck Philip , Mangel Jeffrey , Peters Kenneth , Kennelly Michael , Shapiro Andrew , Lee Una , Comiter Craig , Mueller Margaret , Goldman Howard B.
Published: January 2021

Aims

Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is a guideline‐recommended treatment with proven therapeutic benefit for urinary urgency incontinence (UUI) patients. The Axonics® System is the first Food and Drug Administration‐approved rechargeable SNM system and is designed to deliver therapy for a minimum of 15 years. The ARTISAN‐SNM study was designed to evaluate UUI participants treated with the Axonics System. Two‐year follow‐up results are presented.

Methods

One hundred and twenty‐nine UUI participants underwent implantation with the Axonics System. Therapeutic response rate, participant quality of life (QoL), and satisfaction were determined using 3‐day voiding diaries, ICIQ‐OABqol, and satisfaction questionnaires. Participants were considered responders if they had a 50% or greater reduction in UUI episodes post‐treatment. As‐treated and Completers analyses are presented.

Results

At 2 years, 93% of the participants (n = 121 Completers at 2 years) were therapy responders, of which 82% achieved ≥ 75% reduction in UUI episodes and 37% were dry (100% reduction). Daily UUI episodes reduced from 5.6 ± 0.3 at baseline to 1.0 ± 0.2 at 2 years. Statistically significant improvements in ICIQ‐OABqol were reported. All participants were able to recharge their device and 94% of participants reported that the recharging frequency and duration were acceptable. Participant demographics nor condition severity were correlated with clinical outcomes or recharging experience. No unanticipated or serious device‐related adverse events occurred.

Conclusions

At 2 years, participants treated with the Axonics System demonstrated sustained safety and efficacy, high levels of satisfaction with therapy and recharging. Participant‐related factors were not associated with efficacy or recharging outcomes, indicating the reported results are applicable to a diverse population.
An 8‐dipole transceive and 24‐loop receive array for non‐human primate head imaging at 10.5 T
Authors: Lagore Russell L. , Moeller Steen , Zimmermann Jan , DelaBarre Lance , Radder Jerahmie , Grant Andrea , Ugurbil Kamil , Yacoub Essa , Harel Noam , Adriany Gregor
Published: January 2021

A 32‐channel RF coil was developed for brain imaging of anesthetized non‐human primates (rhesus macaque) at 10.5 T. The coil is composed of an 8‐channel dipole transmit/receive array, close‐fitting 16‐channel loop receive array headcap, and 8‐channel loop receive array lower insert. The transceiver dipole array is composed of eight end‐loaded dipole elements self‐resonant at the 10.5 T proton Larmor frequency. These dipole elements were arranged on a plastic cylindrical former, which was split into two to allow for convenient animal positioning. Nested into the bottom of the dipole array former is located an 8‐channel loop receive array, which contains 5 × 10 cm2 square loops arranged in two rows of four loops. Arranged in a close‐fitting plastic headcap is located a high‐density 16‐channel loop receive array. This array is composed of 14 round loops 37 mm in diameter and 2 partially detachable, irregularly shaped loops that encircle the ears. Imaging experiments were performed on anesthetized non‐human primates on a 10.5 T MRI system equipped with body gradients with a 60 cm open bore. The coil enabled submillimeter (0.58 mm isotropic) high‐resolution anatomical and functional imaging as well as tractography of fasciculated axonal bundles. The combination of a close‐fitting loop receive array and dipole transceiver array allowed for a higher‐channel‐count receiver and consequent higher signal‐to‐noise ratio and parallel imaging gains. Parallel imaging performance supports high‐resolution functional MRI and diffusion MRI with a factor of three reduction in sampling. The transceive array elements during reception contributed approximately one‐quarter of the signal‐to‐noise ratio in the lower half of the brain, which was farthest from the close‐fitting headcap receive array.
Does Scalp Cooling Have the Same Efficacy in Black Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer?
Authors: Dilawari Asma , Gallagher Christopher , Alintah Princess , Chitalia Ami , Tiwari Shruti , Paxman Richard , Adams-Campbell Lucile , Dash Chiranjeev
Published: January 2021

Lessons Learned

Despite U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to reduce alopecia, data on efficacy of scalp cooling in Black patients with cancer are limited by lack of minority representation in prior clinical trials. Scalp cooling devices may have less efficacy in Black patients; additional studies are required to explore the possible causes for this, including hair texture and cap design.

Background

The Paxman scalp cooling (SC) device is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Studies report 50%–80% success rates and high patient satisfaction, yet there have been no studies of SC in Black patients. We conducted a phase II feasibility study of Paxman SC with a planned enrollment of 30 Black patients receiving chemotherapy for stage I–III breast cancer.

Methods

Black patients who planned to receive at least four cycles of chemotherapy with non-anthracycline (NAC) or anthracycline (AC) regimens were eligible. Alopecia was assessed by trained oncology providers using the modified Dean scale (MDS) prior to each chemotherapy session. Distress related to alopecia was measured by the Chemotherapy Alopecia Distress Scale (CADS).

Results

Fifteen patients enrolled in the intervention before the study was closed early because of lack of efficacy. Median MDS and CADS increased after SC, suggesting increased hair loss (p < .001) and alopecia distress (p = .04). Only one participant was successful in preventing significant hair loss; the majority stopped SC before chemotherapy completion because of grade 3 alopecia (>50% hair loss).

Conclusion

SC may not be efficacious in preventing alopecia in Black women. Differences in hair thickness, hair volume, and limitations of cooling cap design are possible contributing factors.
Silica masterbatches produced with liquid phase mixing Part IV. Volume variation and SEM observations upon stretching
Authors: Zhang Hao , Zheng Shanliang , Zheng Lina , Wang Meng‐Jiao
Published: January 2021

The volume of vulcanizates changes slightly during stretching. Generally, dilatometry and hydrostatic weighing methods are used to measure volume change. Vacuole formation and polymer crystallization are the two main causes of the volume changes, and these are attributed to the separation of polymer from the filler surface and the alignment of polymer molecules, respectively. The relative volume change, ΔV/V, of four different vulcanizates based on a blend of SSBR (solution polymerized styrene‐butadiene rubber) and BR (cis‐polybutadiene rubber) has been plotted against elongation, ε. The relative volume change of an eco‐visco‐elastomer‐composite (EVEC) compound produced by a continuous liquid phase mixing process was much less than that of a dry‐mixed counterpart, especially after normalizing by stress, σ. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the emergence of vacuoles during stretching, and obtain information on their relative size and distribution without the need for replication or ion sputter coating. SEM images also showed that the dispersion of silica in EVEC is better and the number of vacuoles is much less than in the dry‐mixed compounds, characterizing a “denser” vulcanizate.
The effect of C‐reactive protein on chest X‐ray interpretation: A decision‐making experiment among pediatricians
Authors: Barak‐Corren Yuval , Barak‐Corren Netta , Gileles‐Hillel Alex , Heiman Eyal
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Clinical decision‐making is complex and requires the integration of multiple sources of information. Physicians tend to over‐rely on objective measures, despite the lack of supportive evidence in many cases. We sought to test if pediatricians over‐rely on C‐reactive protein (CRP) results when managing a child with suspected pneumonia.

Methods

A nationwide decision‐making experiment was conducted among 337 pediatricians in Israel. Each participant was presented with two detailed vignettes of a child with suspected pneumonia, each with a chest X‐ray (CXR) taken from a real‐life case of viral pneumonia. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Controls—where no lab tests were provided, and two intervention groups where the vignettes also noted a high or a low CRP value, in varying orders. Between‐participant and within‐participant analyses were conducted to study the effect of CRP on CXR interpretation. The three groups were presented with identical medical history, vital signs, findings on physical examination, blood count, and CXR.

Results

Three‐hundred and one pediatricians (89.3% of those approached) completed the study. Pediatricians were 60%–90% more likely to diagnose viral pneumonia as bacterial when presented with high CRP levels versus low CRP levels, despite the identical clinical data and CXR (62% vs. 39% and 58% vs. 31% of physicians; p = .002). Accordingly, they were 60%–90% more likely to prescribe antibiotics in these cases (86% vs. 53% and 78% vs. 41% of physicians; p < .001).

Conclusions

CRP by itself may modify the way in which pediatricians interpret a CXR, leading to the overprescription of antibiotics.
Future efficacy of pre‐emergence herbicides in corn (Zea mays) is threatened by more variable weather
Authors: Landau Christopher A , Hager Aaron G , Tranel Patrick J , Davis Adam S , Martin Nicolas F , Williams Martin M
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

By 2050, weather is expected to become more variable with a shift towards higher temperatures and more erratic rainfall throughout the U.S. Corn Belt. The effects of this predicted weather change on pre‐emergence (PRE) herbicide efficacy have been inadequately explored. Using an extensive database, spanning 252 unique weather environments, the efficacy of atrazine, acetochlor, S‐metolachlor, and mesotrione, applied PRE alone and in combinations, was modeled on common weed species in corn (Zea mays L.).

RESULTS

Adequate rainfall to dissolve the herbicide into soil water solution so that it could be absorbed by developing weed seedlings within the first 15 days after PRE application was essential for effective weed control. Across three annual weed species, the probability of effective control increased as rainfall increased and was maximized when rainfall was 10 cm or more. When rainfall was less than 10 cm, increasing soil temperatures had either a positive or negative effect on the probability of effective control, depending on the herbicide(s) and weed species. Herbicide combinations required less rainfall to maximize the probability of effective control and had higher odds of successfully controlling weeds compared with the herbicides applied individually.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this study highlight the importance of rainfall following PRE herbicide application. As rainfall becomes more variable in future, the efficacy of common PRE herbicides will likely decline. However, utilizing combinations of PRE herbicides along with additional cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical weed control methods will create a more sustainable integrated weed management system and help U.S. corn production adapt to more extreme weather.

© 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Graphene‐Coated Gold Chips for Enhanced Goos–Hanchen Shift Plasmonic Sensing
Authors: Das Chandreyee Manas , Kang Lixing , Hu Dianyi , Guang Yang , Guo Yan , Wei Chen Ming , Coquet Philippe , Yong Ken-Tye
Published: January 2021

Plasmon‐based sensing relies on the interaction of photons with nanostructured materials. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biological and chemical sensors offer unique advantages of real‐time and label‐free detection techniques and therefore, they have been around in the commercial market for many decades. The principle of the Goos–Hanchen (GH) shift, whereby linearly polarized light undergoes a small lateral shift upon total internal reflection at a dielectric surface, is highly sensitive to refractive index (RI) changes in the sensing medium and can thus be utilized for plasmonic sensing. 2D materials such as graphene can boost the plasmonic efficiency of these sensors because of their excellent optical properties. Herein, a customized GH shift–based SPR sensor is devised using graphene‐coated Au chips. With the help of experimental results, it is shown that graphene can enhance the sensitivity of the conventional Au‐only configuration 2.35 times.
Joint hypothesis testing of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the Youden index
Authors: Yin Jingjing , Mutiso Fedelis , Tian Lili
Published: January 2021

In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) serves as an overall measure of diagnostic accuracy. Another popular ROC index is the Youden index (J), which corresponds to the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity minus one. Since the AUC and J describe different aspects of diagnostic performance, we propose to test if a biomarker beats the pre‐specified targeting values of AUC0 and J0 simultaneously with H0 : AUC ≤ AUC0 or J ≤ J0 against Ha : AUC > AUC0 and J > J0. This is a multivariate order restrictive hypothesis with a non‐convex space in Ha, and traditional likelihood ratio‐based tests cannot apply. The intersection–union test (IUT) and the joint test are proposed for such test. While the IUT test independently tests for the AUC and the Youden index, the joint test is constructed based on the joint confidence region. Findings from the simulation suggest both tests yield similar power estimates. We also illustrated the tests using a real data example and the results of both tests are consistent. In conclusion, testing jointly on AUC and J gives more reliable results than using a single index, and the IUT is easy to apply and have similar power as the joint test.
Event‐triggered guaranteed cost fault‐tolerant optimal tracking control for uncertain nonlinear system via adaptive dynamic programming
Authors: Guo Zijie , Yao Deyin , Bai Weiwei , Li Hongyi , Lu Renquan
Published: January 2021

In this article, an event‐triggered guaranteed cost optimal tracking control problem is investigated for a class of uncertain nonlinear system with partial loss of actuator effectiveness faults. To begin with, an augmented system consisted of error system and reference system is constructed to simplify the tracking controller design. Then, in order to consider both actuator faults and system uncertainties in optimal tracking control, an improved discounted cost function is developed. Furthermore, a single critic neural network adaptive dynamic programming algorithm is utilized to implement the event‐based approximate optimal controller design. Different from static event‐triggered mechanism, the dynamic event‐triggered mechanism proposed in this article with an internal dynamic signal can further improve execution efficiency. A Lyapunov‐based stability analysis is given to demonstrate the uniformly ultimately bounded stability of the closed‐loop system. Finally, two typical nonlinear simulations are presented to verify the developed control method.
Continuous in situ soil nitrate sensors: The importance of high‐resolution measurements across time and a comparison with salt extraction‐based methods
Authors: Zhu Yunjiao , Chen Yuncong , Ali Md. Azahar , Dong Liang , Wang Xinran , Archontoulis Sotirios V. , Schnable James C. , Castellano Michael J.
Published: January 2021

Soil NO3– affects microbial processes, plant productivity, and environmental N losses. However, the ability to measure soil NO3– is limited by labor‐intensive sampling and laboratory analyses. Hence, temporal variation in soil solution NO3– concentration is poorly understood. We evaluated a new potentiometric sensor that continuously measures soil solution NO3– concentration with unprecedented specificity due to a novel membrane that serves as a barrier to interfering anions. First, we compared sensor and salt extraction‐based measurements of soil NO3– in well‐controlled laboratory conditions. Second, using 60 d of in situ soil NO3– measurements every 10 s, we quantified temporal variation and the effect of sampling frequency on field estimations of mean daily NO3– concentration both within and across days. In the laboratory, sensors measured soil NO3– concentration without significant difference from theoretical adjusted soil NO3– concentration or conventional salt extraction‐based methods. In the field, the sensors demonstrated no within‐day pattern in soil NO3– concentration, although individual measurements within a day differed by as much as 20% from the daily mean. Across days, when soil solution NO3– was dynamic (early spring) and sampling frequency was >5 d, estimates of mean daily NO3– concentration were >20% from the actual mean daily concentration. In situ soil sensors offer potential to improve fundamental and applied sciences. However, in most situations, sensors will measure soil properties in a different manner than conventional salt‐extract soil sampling‐based approaches. Research will be required to interpret sensor measurements and optimize sensor deployment.
High-throughput screening in postimplantation haploid epiblast stem cells reveals Hs3st3b1 as a modulator for reprogramming
Authors: Gao Qian , Zhang Wenhao , Zhao Yiding , Tian Yaru , Wang Yuna , Zhang Jinxin , Geng Mengyang , Xu Mei , Yao Chunmeng , Wang Haoyu , Li Luyuan , Liu Yan , Shuai Ling
Published: January 2021

Epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) derived from postimplantation epiblast are pluripotent stem cells, epigenetically distinct from embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which are widely used in reprogramming studies. Recent achieved haploid cell lines in mammalian species open a new era for high-throughput genetic screening, due to their homozygous phenotypes. Here, we report the generation of mouse haploid EpiSCs (haEpiSCs) from postimplantation chimeric embryos at embryonic day 6.5 (E6.5). These cells maintain one set of chromosomes, express EpiSC-specific genes, and have potentials to differentiate into three germ layers. We also develop a massive mutagenesis protocol with haEpiSCs, and subsequently perform reprogramming selection using this genome-wide mutation library. Multiple modules related to various pathways are implicated. The validation experiments prove that knockout of Hst3st3b1 (one of the candidates) can promote reprogramming of EpiSCs to the ground state efficiently. Our results open the feasibility of utilizing haEpiSCs to elucidate fundamental biological processes including cell fate alternations.
Quantum leaps or baby steps? Expertise distance, construal level, and the propensity to invest in novel technological ideas
Authors: Mount Matthew P. , Baer Markus , Lupoli Matthew J.
Published: January 2021

Research summary

Deliberate cognition is an important mechanism for overcoming inertia. Yet, the precise nature of cognition that propels decision‐makers to endorse novelty is not well understood. We propose that expertise distance is a fundamental force shaping decision‐makers' willingness to invest in novelty. We further suggest that the level of mental construal through which information is processed moderates the effect of expertise distance on investment propensity, principally by changing decision‐makers' perceptions of an idea's novelty and usefulness. We test our theory in two studies. Study 1 is a field study of 120 decision‐makers considering a novel technological idea—quantum key distribution. Study 2 is an experiment that conceptually replicates our first study. Our findings contribute to the debate on strategic cognition and the microfoundations of strategic adaptation.

Managerial summary

While the pursuit of novel technological ideas is the driving force of sustained competitive advantage, managers often reject novel ideas in favor of more familiar ones. How then can managers who are out of their depth with a novel technology make sense of it without rejecting it outright? Some suggest that managers should mentally extrapolate from prior experiences with similar ideas. Yet, such extrapolation is impossible when ideas are truly novel and no previous experience with related ideas can be called upon. We resolve this issue by showing that the level at which managers who are unfamiliar with a novel technological idea mentally process it (abstract versus concrete) influences their perceptions of the idea's novelty and usefulness, which, in turn, influences their propensity to invest.
Ligand Design in Ligand‐Protected Gold Nanoclusters
Authors: Zhang Bihan , Chen Jishi , Cao Yitao , Chai Osburg Jin Huang , Xie Jianping
Published: January 2021

The design of surface ligands is crucial for ligand‐protected gold nanoclusters (Au NCs). Besides providing good protection for Au NCs, the surface ligands also play the following two important roles: i) as the outermost layer of Au NCs, the ligands will directly interact with the exterior environment (e.g., solvents, molecules and cells) influencing Au NCs in various applications; and ii) the interfacial chemistry between ligands and gold atoms can determine the structures, as well as the physical and chemical properties of Au NCs. A delicate ligand design in Au NCs (or other metal NCs) needs to consider the covalent bonds between ligands and gold atoms (e.g., gold–sulfur (Au–S) and gold–phosphorus (Au–P) bond), the physics forces between ligands (e.g., hydrophobic and van der Waals forces), and the ionic forces between the functional groups of ligands (e.g., carboxylic (COOH) and amine group (NH2)); which form the underlying chemistry and discussion focus of this review article. Here, detailed discussions on the effects of surface ligands (e.g., thiolate, phosphine, and alkynyl ligands; or hydrophobic and hydrophilic ligands) on the synthesis, structures, and properties of Au NCs; highlighting the design principles in the surface engineering of Au NCs for diverse emerging applications, are provided.
Cross‐sectional study of UK horse owner's purchase and euthanasia decision‐making for their horse
Authors: Clough Harriet , Roshier Mandy , England Gary , Burford John , Freeman Sarah
Published: January 2021

Background: This cross‐sectional study aimed to investigate factors affecting horse owners' purchase and euthanasia decisions that had been identified in a qualitative study.

Methods: An online survey on horse owners' purchase and euthanasia decisions and experiences was distributed using snowball sampling. Inclusion criteria were previous experience of purchase or euthanasia decisions. Descriptive data analyses (mean, median, mode and frequency percentages) were performed.

Results: There were 451 participants from the UK and Ireland, 97% were female with a median age of 45 years. Participants most frequently did not seek any advice when deciding what type of horse to purchase (38.6%, 169/438) or if it was priced appropriately (48.7%, 214/439). Most participants were satisfied with their purchase and would purchase their horse again (84.9%, 370/436). The most frequent reasons for euthanasia were injury/illness with low chance of survival (55.2%, 201/364), poor quality of life (42.6%, 155/363) and long‐term injury (35.7%, 130/364). Most participants sought advice or guidance when making end‐of‐life decisions (87.5%, 328/375), and 55% (243/440) had a euthanasia plan in place.

Conclusions: Owners show limited advice‐seeking behaviour on key aspects of purchase decisions. Owners frequently seek advice on euthanasia decisions, and the majority of decisions were based on welfare concerns.
Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from urinary tract infections in companion animals in Spain
Authors: Darwich Laila , Seminati Chiara , Burballa Ares , Nieto Alba , Durán Inma , Tarradas Núria , Molina‐López Rafael A.
Published: January 2021

Background

The increasing emergence of multidrug‐resistant bacteria, causing urinary tract infections (UTI) in dogs and cats, represents a great therapeutic challenge and a public health concern.

Methods

Laboratory records of 4943 urinary microbiological diagnosis results and antimicrobial resistance profiles of suspected UTI cases in dogs and cats were analysed from 2016 to 2018 in Spain.

Results

This study showed a higher percentage of positive microbiological diagnoses in dogs (42%, 1368/3270) than in cats (27%, 457/1673). Although Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated bacterium, the frequency of antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli isolates was lower compared to other bacterial species like Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter (E. cloacae), and Proteus mirabilis. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Gram‐positive cocci showed higher levels of resistance in cats to common beta‐lactams used for the treatment of complicated UTIs, as well as to fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and carbapenems. Moreover, enterobacteria (E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and P. mirabilis) from cats presented high resistance frequencies to beta‐lactams, including third‐ and fourth‐generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones.

Conclusion

This study updates data on the current antimicrobial resistance in UTI bacteria from companion animals in Spain, which may help to guide clinicians for the appropriate use of antimicrobials.
Backyard poultry cases in UK small animal practices: Demographics, health conditions and pharmaceutical prescriptions
Authors: Singleton David A. , Ball Christopher , Rennie Cameron , Coxon Charlotte , Ganapathy Kannan , Jones Phil H. , Welchman David , Tulloch John S.P.
Published: January 2021

Background: Backyard poultry ownership is of keen interest in the United Kingdom. However, despite this, little is known about veterinary care engagement and outcomes of visits in this group of species.

Methods: This study described and characterised veterinary practice‐visiting backyard poultry, utilising electronic health record data supplied by veterinary practices voluntarily participating in the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network between 1st April 2014 and 31st March 2019. Results: In total, 4424 recorded poultry consultations originating from 197 veterinary practices (352 sites) were summarised. Chicken consultation (n = 3740) peak incidence was in early summer (April‐June), relative to all recorded species. More chickens resided in rural (incident rate ratio = 2.5, confidence interval [CI] 2.3–2.6, p <0.001) or less deprived areas. Non‐specific clinical signs were commonly recorded (17.6% of chicken consultations, CI 15.9–19.2), as were those indicative of advanced disease. This latter finding was reflected in prescribed management strategies, with euthanasia comprising 29.8% (CI 27.0–32.6) of consultations. Antimicrobials were commonly prescribed (33.0% of consultations, CI 29.8–36.2), 43.8% of which included antimicrobials considered ‘highest priority critically important’ by the World Health Organisation.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate a need to tailor antimicrobial prescription guidance to the backyard poultry setting. In addition, late presentation of disease, vague clinical descriptions in clinical narratives and high euthanasia rates show that disease identification, management and knowledge of poultry health and welfare among owners and veterinary surgeons can be improved.
The Referential Problem Space revisited: An ecological hypothesis of the evolutionary and developmental origins of pointing
Authors: Leavens David A.
Published: January 2021

Pointing by great apes poses a significant challenge to contemporary theories about the evolutionary and developmental foundations of cognitive development, because pointing has long been viewed by theoreticians as an evolved, human‐unique developmental stepping‐stone to linguistic reference. Although reports of pointing by great apes have existed in the scientific literature for over a century, only in recent decades has it become clear that ape pointing is definitely an intentionally communicative signal, by the same criteria we adjudge human pointing to be intentionally communicative. Theoretical responses to this changed empirical landscape have generally taken the approach of asserting, without any direct evidence (indeed, in the absence of any possibility of direct evidence), that pointing by humans is psychologically distinct from and more cognitively complex than the pointing of apes. It is commonplace in the contemporary literature to appeal to imaginary, species‐unique causal factors to account for human pointing, rendering a large body of contemporary theoretical work untestable with scientific methods: scientific arguments require the public availability of core theoretical entities. In this paper, I will analyze the circumstances of pointing by apes and humans and develop an alternative theoretical model of pointing that does not rely upon non‐physical constructs. According to the view espoused, here, pointing develops as a solution to a particular kind of developmental problem, characterized by (a) a developing capacity for tool use, (b) barriers to direct action, and (c) a history of caregiver responsiveness. Pointing by both apes and humans is explicable without invoking imaginary, mental causes.

This article is categorized under:

Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition

Cognitive Biology > Cognitive Development

Psychology > Comparative Psychology
Global sensitivity analysis for offshore wind cost modelling
Authors: Borràs Mora Esteve , Spelling James , van der Weijde Adriaan H.
Published: January 2021

The costs of offshore wind are decreasing rapidly. However, there is a need to better understand the key drivers behind these cost reductions. New environmental regulations, economic policies, technological advancements and financing structures have resulted in a set of relationships that need to be considered in order to define risks and profitability for the next generation of offshore wind farms. We use an industry‐leading offshore wind cost modelling tool which integrates site characteristics, technology specificities and financial modelling expertise and apply state‐of‐art global sensitivity analysis methods for different classes of offshore wind farms, ranking the contribution of around 150 input parameters that influence the cost of offshore wind development. We show that the top 5 parameters when building an offshore wind investment business case are the wind speed, target equity rate of return, turbine costs, drilling costs and debt service coverage ratio. The contribution of this paper can help guide additional efforts towards reducing the uncertainty of those key parameters to decrease costs and provide a framework to choose global sensitivity analysis techniques for offshore wind techno‐economic models.
An Audit of All Waste Leaving the Operating Room: Can the Surgical Suite Be More Environmentally Sustainable?
Authors: Rammelkamp Zoe , Dirnberger Jane , Johnson George , Waisbren Steven
Published: January 2021

Climate change negatively impacts human health, and yet the healthcare industry is one of the largest generators of waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A significant portion of these GHG emissions comes from the production, transport, and disposal of medical equipment, ultimately becoming waste. Within the hospital, about 30 percent of waste is generated in the operating room (OR). The purpose of this study was to determine how much waste was leaving the OR. Two 5‐day OR audits at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Service found that 231.3 kg of total waste was generated per day, of which 84.5, 8.83, 2.79, and 3.88 percent were general, recyclable, biohazard, and blue wrap waste, respectively. By studying the amounts and types of waste that different hospitals produce, a systems‐approach could be applied to waste reduction in the OR and effect policy change that would promote environmental sustainability in the hospital setting.
Applications of nanotechnology in virus detection, tracking, and infection mechanisms
Authors: Kang Jun , Tahir Ayesha , Wang Hanjie , Chang Jin
Published: January 2021

Viruses are among the most infectious pathogens, responsible for the highest death toll around the world. Lack of effective clinical drug for most of the viruses emphasizes the rapid and accurate diagnosis at early stages of infection to prevent rapid spread of the pathogens. Nanotechnology is an emerging field with applications in various domains, where nano‐biomedical science has many significant contributions such as effective delivery of drugs/therapeutic molecules to specific organs, imaging, sensitive detection of virus, and their accurate tracking in host cells. The nanomaterials reported for virus detection and tracking mainly include magnetic and gold NPs, ZnO/Pt‐Pd, graphene, and quantum dots (QDs). In addition, the single virus tracking technology (SVT) allowed to track the life cycle stages of an individual virus for better understanding of their dynamics within the living cells. Inorganic as well as non‐metallic fluorescent materials share the advantages of high photochemical stability, a wide range of light absorption curves and polychromatic emission. Hence, are considered as potential fluorescent nano‐probes for SVT. However, there are still some challenges: (i) clinical false positive rate of some detection methods is still high; (ii) in the virus tracking process, less adaptability of QDs owing to larger size, flicker, and possible interference with virus function; and (iii) in vivo tracking of a single virus, in real time needs further refinement. In the future, smaller, non‐toxic, and chemically stable nanomaterials are needed to improve the efficiency and accuracy of detection, and monitoring of virus infections to curb the mortalities.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease

Biology‐Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus‐Based Structures
Sustainable Urban Drainage Practices and Their Effects on Aquifer Recharge
Authors: Gichuhi Getrude , Gitahi Stephen
Published: January 2021

Between 1994 and 2006, an 18% increase of freshwater flow into the earth’s ocean was recorded, as well as extreme weather events such as prolonged drought and intense floods. Following this period was an era of increased evaporation from oceans and seas, which heightened global warming in Africa. This chapter proposes the use of man-made aquifers recharge processes as methods of draining water into the soil before the runoff water reaches water bodies. Source control involves controlling the volume of water entering drainage systems or rivers by cutting off runoff water through storing for reuse or evapotranspiration as seen in green roofs. Pre-treatment is the use of trenches to filter and remove contaminants from water before getting to water bodies. Retention systems on the other hand is controlling the rate at which water is discharged to waterways by providing water storage areas such as ponds, water retention areas, etc., while Infiltration Systems are areas that allow natural soaking of stormwater runoff to the ground naturally recharging the water table. The proposed methods will see replenishing of the water table, a great leap in the efforts of curbing global warming. This practice can easily be adopted by both individuals and government as we build more and more buildings creating a balance between the need for human settlement and the natural way of water replenishing itself. The methods do not introduce extra costs to an already existing budget. In some cases, the methods help to reduce the costs of projects especially in urban areas. Africa which hosts many of the growing countries sees and will continue to experience surges in urbanization. For such, these methods presented in this topic will be, if implemented, a best method to solve the urban drainage problems before this even occurs.
Greenhouse Gases from Agriculture
Authors: Zaman M. , Kleineidam K. , Bakken L. , Berendt J. , Bracken C. , Butterbach-Bahl K. , Cai Z. , Chang S. X. , Clough T. , Dawar K. , Ding W. X. , Dörsch P. , dos Reis Martins M. , Eckhardt C. , Fiedler S. , Frosch T. , Goopy J. , Görres C.-M. , Gupta A. , Henjes S. , Hofmann M. E. G. , Horn M. A. , Jahangir M. M. R. , Jansen-Willems A. , Lenhart K. , Heng L. , Lewicka-Szczebak D. , Lucic G. , Merbold L. , Mohn J. , Molstad L. , Moser G. , Murphy P. , Sanz-Cobena A. , Šimek M. , Urquiaga S. , Well R. , Wrage-Mönnig N. , Zaman S. , Zhang J. , Müller C.
Published: January 2021

The rapidly changing global climate due to increased emission of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) is leading to an increased occurrence of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves. The three major GHGs are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). The major natural sources of CO2 include ocean–atmosphere exchange, respiration of animals, soils (microbial respiration) and plants, and volcanic eruption; while the anthropogenic sources include burning of fossil fuel (coal, natural gas, and oil), deforestation, and the cultivation of land that increases the decomposition of soil organic matter and crop and animal residues. Natural sources of CH4 emission include wetlands, termite activities, and oceans. Paddy fields used for rice production, livestock production systems (enteric emission from ruminants), landfills, and the production and use of fossil fuels are the main anthropogenic sources of CH4. Nitrous oxide, in addition to being a major GHG, is also an ozone-depleting gas. N2O is emitted by natural processes from oceans and terrestrial ecosystems. Anthropogenic N2O emissions occur mostly through agricultural and other land-use activities and are associated with the intensification of agricultural and other human activities such as increased use of synthetic fertiliser (119.4 million tonnes of N worldwide in 2019), inefficient use of irrigation water, deposition of animal excreta (urine and dung) from grazing animals, excessive and inefficient application of farm effluents and animal manure to croplands and pastures, and management practices that enhance soil organic N mineralisation and C decomposition. Agriculture could act as a source and a sink of GHGs. Besides direct sources, GHGs also come from various indirect sources, including upstream and downstream emissions in agricultural systems and ammonia (NH3) deposition from fertiliser and animal manure.
Methane Production in Ruminant Animals
Authors: Zaman M. , Kleineidam K. , Bakken L. , Berendt J. , Bracken C. , Butterbach-Bahl K. , Cai Z. , Chang S. X. , Clough T. , Dawar K. , Ding W. X. , Dörsch P. , dos Reis Martins M. , Eckhardt C. , Fiedler S. , Frosch T. , Goopy J. , Görres C.-M. , Gupta A. , Henjes S. , Hofmann M. E. G. , Horn M. A. , Jahangir M. M. R. , Jansen-Willems A. , Lenhart K. , Heng L. , Lewicka-Szczebak D. , Lucic G. , Merbold L. , Mohn J. , Molstad L. , Moser G. , Murphy P. , Sanz-Cobena A. , Šimek M. , Urquiaga S. , Well R. , Wrage-Mönnig N. , Zaman S. , Zhang J. , Müller C.
Published: January 2021

Agriculture is a significant source of GHGsglobally and ruminant livestock animals are one of the largest contributors to these emissions, responsible for an estimated 14% of GHGs (CH4and N2O combined) worldwide. A large portion of GHG fluxes from agricultural activities is related to CH4 emissions from ruminants. Both direct and indirect methods are available. Direct methods include enclosure techniques, artificial (e.g.  SF6) or  natural  (e.g.  CO2)  tracer techniques,  and   micrometeorological methods using open-path lasers. Under the indirect methods, emission mechanisms are understood, where the CH4 emission potential is estimated based on the substrate characteristics and the digestibility (i.e. from volatile fatty acids). These approximate methods are useful if no direct measurement is possible. The different systems used to quantify these emission potentials are presented in this chapter. Also, CH4 from animal waste (slurry, urine, dung) is an important source: methods pertaining to measuring GHG potential from these sources are included.
Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices for Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Authors: Zaman M. , Kleineidam K. , Bakken L. , Berendt J. , Bracken C. , Butterbach-Bahl K. , Cai Z. , Chang S. X. , Clough T. , Dawar K. , Ding W. X. , Dörsch P. , dos Reis Martins M. , Eckhardt C. , Fiedler S. , Frosch T. , Goopy J. , Görres C.-M. , Gupta A. , Henjes S. , Hofmann M. E. G. , Horn M. A. , Jahangir M. M. R. , Jansen-Willems A. , Lenhart K. , Heng L. , Lewicka-Szczebak D. , Lucic G. , Merbold L. , Mohn J. , Molstad L. , Moser G. , Murphy P. , Sanz-Cobena A. , Šimek M. , Urquiaga S. , Well R. , Wrage-Mönnig N. , Zaman S. , Zhang J. , Müller C.
Published: January 2021

Agricultural lands make up approximately 37% of the global land surface, and agriculture is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Those GHGs are responsible for the majority of the anthropogenic global warming effect. Agricultural GHG emissions are associated with agricultural soil management (e.g. tillage), use of both synthetic and organic fertilisers, livestock management, burning of fossil fuel for agricultural operations, and burning of agricultural residues and land use change. When natural ecosystems such as grasslands are converted to agricultural production, 20–40% of the soil organic carbon (SOC) is lost over time, following cultivation. We thus need to develop management practices that can maintain or even increase SOCstorage in and reduce GHG emissions from agricultural ecosystems. We need to design systematic approaches and agricultural strategies that can ensure sustainable food production under predicted climate change scenarios, approaches that are being called climate‐smart agriculture (CSA). Climate‐smart agricultural management practices, including conservation tillage, use of cover crops and biochar application to agricultural fields, and strategic application of synthetic and organic fertilisers have been considered a way to reduce GHG emission from agriculture. Agricultural management practices can be improved to decreasing disturbance to the soil by decreasing the frequency and extent of cultivation as a way to minimise soil C loss and/or to increase soil C storage. Fertiliser nitrogen (N) use efficiency can be improved to reduce fertilizer N application and N loss. Management measures can also be taken to minimise agricultural biomass burning. This chapter reviews the current literature on CSA practices that are available to reduce GHG emissions and increase soil Csequestration and develops a guideline on best management practices to reduce GHG emissions, increase C sequestration, and enhance crop productivity in agricultural production systems.
What if ALP dark matter for the XENON1T excess is the inflaton
Authors: Takahashi Fuminobu , Yamada Masaki , Yin Wen
Published: January 2021

Abstract

The recent XENON1T excess in the electron recoil data can be explained by anomaly-free axion-like particle (ALP) dark matter with mass mϕ = 2.3 ± 0.2 keV and the decay constant $$ {f}_{\phi }/{q}_e\simeq 2\times {10}^{10}\sqrt{\Omega_{\phi }/{\Omega}_{\mathrm{DM}}} $$

f
ϕ

/

q
e

≃
2
×

10
10

Ω
ϕ

/

Ω
DM

GeV. Intriguingly, the suggested mass and decay constant are consistent with the relation, $$ {f}_{\phi}\sim {10}^3\sqrt{m_{\phi }{M}_p} $$

f
ϕ

∼

10
3

m
ϕ

M
p

, predicted in a scenario where the ALP plays the role of the inflaton. This raises a possibility that the ALP dark matter responsible for the XENON1T excess also drove inflation in the very early universe. We study implications of the XENON1T excess for the ALP inflation and thermal history of the universe after inflation. We find that the successful reheating requires the ALP couplings to heavy fermions in the standard model, which results in an instantaneous reheating and subsequent thermalization of the ALPs. Then, an entropy dilution of $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(10) is necessary to explain the XENON1T excess, which can be achieved by decays of the right-handed neutrinos.
Supersymmetric black holes and the SJT/nSCFT1 correspondence
Authors: Förste Stefan , Gerhardus Andreas , Kames-King Joshua
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We consider 1/4 BPS black hole solutions of$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 2 gauged supergravity inAdS4. The near horizon geometry isAdS2×S2and supersymmetry is enhanced. In the first part of the paper we choose a moment map, which allows the embedding of this supergravity solution into a sugra theory with a hypermultiplet. We then perform the s-wave reduction of this theory at the horizon and determine the dilaton multiplet, which couples to both metric and gravitino fluctuations. In the second part we work with Euclidean axial$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= (2,2) JT supergravity and show how to add gauged matter in form of covariantly twisted chiral and anti-chiral multiplets. We demonstrate how to reduce the on-shell action to boundary superspace. We compare both theories and calculate the fourpoint function by integrating out gravitons, gravitini and photons for the s-wave setting and by use of the Super-Schwarzian modes in the JT theory.
MeV-scale seesaw and leptogenesis
Authors: Domcke Valerie , Drewes Marco , Hufnagel Marco , Lucente Michele
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We study the type-I seesaw model with three right-handed neutrinos and Majorana masses below the pion mass. In this mass range, the model parameter space is not only strongly constrained by the requirement to explain the light neutrino masses, but also by experimental searches and cosmological considerations. In the existing literature, three disjoint regions of potentially viable parameter space have been identified. In one of them, all heavy neutrinos decay shortly before big bang nucleosynthesis. In the other two regions, one of the heavy neutrinos either decays between BBN and the CMB decoupling or is quasi-stable. We show that previously unaccounted constraints from photodisintegration of nuclei practically rule out all relevant decays that happen between BBN and the CMB decoupling. Quite remarkably, if all heavy neutrinos decay before BBN, the baryon asymmetry of the universe can be quite generically explained by low-scale leptogenesis, i.e. without further tuning in addition to what is needed to avoid experimental and cosmological constraints. This motivates searches for heavy neutrinos in pion decay experiments.
Sequential discontinuities of Feynman integrals and the monodromy group
Authors: Bourjaily Jacob L. , Hannesdottir Holmfridur , McLeod Andrew J. , Schwartz Matthew D. , Vergu Cristian
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We generalize the relation between discontinuities of scattering amplitudes and cut diagrams to cover sequential discontinuities (discontinuities of discontinuities) in arbitrary momentum channels. The new relations are derived using time-ordered perturbation theory, and hold at phase-space points where all cut momentum channels are simultaneously accessible. As part of this analysis, we explain how to compute sequential discontinuities as monodromies and explore the use of the monodromy group in characterizing the analytic properties of Feynman integrals. We carry out a number of cross-checks of our new formulas in polylogarithmic examples, in some cases to all loop orders.