bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tooth discoloration induced by apical plugs with hydraulic calcium silicate-based cements in teeth with open apices—a 2-year in vitro study
Authors: Krug Ralf , Ortmann C. , Reich S. , Hahn B. , Krastl G. , Soliman S.
Published: June 2021

Objectives

To assess tooth discoloration induced by different hydraulic calcium silicate-based cements (HCSCs), including effects of blood and placement method.

Materials and methods

Eighty bovine teeth cut to a length of 18 mm (crown 8 mm, root 10 mm) were randomly assigned to 10 groups (n = 8), receiving orthograde apical plug treatment (APT). Apical plugs were 4 mm in length and made of ProRoot MTA (Dentsply), Medcem MTA (Medcem), TotalFill BC RRM Fast Set Putty (Brasseler), or Medcem Medical Portland Cement (Medcem) plus bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) with and without bovine blood. Further, orthograde (with or without preoperative adhesive coronal dentin sealing) and retrograde APT were compared. Teeth were obturated with gutta-percha and sealer, sealed with composite and stored in distilled water. Tooth color was measured on apical plug, gutta-percha/sealer, and crown surface before treatment versus 24 h, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment by spectrophotometry. Color difference (ΔE) values were calculated and analyzed by Shapiro–Wilk test, ANOVA with post hoc tests, Friedman test, t test, and post hoc tests with Bonferroni correction (α = .05).

Results

Tooth discoloration occurred in all groups with no significant differences between HCSCs (p > .05). After 24 months, color changes were prominent on roots but insignificant on crowns. Blood contamination induced a significantly decreased luminescence (p < .05). Blood had a stronger impact on tooth color than Bi2O3. No relevant effects of retrograde placement (p > .05) or preoperative dentin sealing (p > .05) were detected.

Conclusions

Apical plugs of the tested HCSCs cause discoloration of bovine roots, but not discoloration of bovine tooth crowns within a 24-month period.

Clinical relevance

APT should be performed carefully while avoiding direct contact with the coronal dentin, and in that case no aesthetic impairments occur.
Symmetric solutions of the singular minimal surface equation
Authors: Dierkes Ulrich , Groh Nico
Published: June 2021

We classify all rotational symmetric solutions of the singular minimal surface equation in both cases $$\alpha <0$$

α
<
0

and $$\alpha >0$$

α
>
0

. In addition, we discuss further geometric and analytic properties of the solutions, in particular stability, minimizing properties and Bernstein-type results.
How Does an Entity Acquire Identity? Reassembling Relativistic Physics with Actor-Network Theory
Authors: Croce Mariano , Margoni Emilia
Published: June 2021

What is it that determines the identity of an entity? Processualism is a theoretical perspective that offers a startling answer to this question. The identity of an entity—whether human or nonhuman, animate or inanimate—depends on the set of relations in which this entity is located. And as the sets of relations are several, so are the identities that an entity can take. This article discusses this conclusion by integrating processual accounts from different fields of inquiry, such as relativistic physics and actor-network theory. According to a processual interpretation of relativistic physics, speaking of states of things is but an abstraction. For states come from the introduction of arbitrary (physically meaningless) breakups of the spacetime continuum. Therefore, processes precede states, a process being a set of relations that confers identity on a physical state. According to a processual interpretation of actor-network theory, the same holds true for actors. Again, speaking of states of actors is but an abstraction. For what really acts is heterogeneous networks. When one describes actors in isolation, one is neglecting a whole array of relations with other actors whereby that actor can act or is made to act in such and such a way. These strands of processualism come to the same conclusion as to the identity of entities. These are not characterized by individuality but by individua(bi)lity: they can be differently individuated according to the set of relations one is able to take into account. The main methodological consequence is that, if one intends to describe what an entity is, knowledge of this entity—whether human or nonhuman, animate or inanimate—should be based on progressively less narrow localizations and mappings of the relations it has to other entities.
Solving $$(k-1)$$-stable instances of k-terminal cut with isolating cuts
Authors: Velednitsky Mark
Published: June 2021

The problem, also known as the multiterminal cut problem, is defined on an edge-weighted graph with k distinct vertices called “terminals.” The goal is to remove a minimum weight collection of edges from the graph such that there is no path between any pair of terminals. The problem is APX-hard. Isolating cuts are minimum cuts which separate one terminal from the rest. The union of all the isolating cuts, except the largest, is a $$(2-2/k)$$

(
2
-
2
/
k
)

-approximation to the optimal k-terminal cut. An instance of is $$\gamma $$
γ
-stable if edges in the cut can be multiplied by up to $$\gamma $$
γ
without changing the unique optimal solution. In this paper, we show that, in any $$(k-1)$$

(
k
-
1
)

-stable instance of , the source sets of the isolating cuts are the source sets of the unique optimal solution to that instance. We conclude that the $$(2-2/k)$$

(
2
-
2
/
k
)

-approximation algorithm returns the optimal solution on $$(k-1)$$

(
k
-
1
)

-stable instances. Ours is the first result showing that this $$(2-2/k)$$

(
2
-
2
/
k
)

-approximation is an exact optimization algorithm on a special class of graphs. We also show that our $$(k-1)$$

(
k
-
1
)

-stability result is tight. We construct $$(k-1-\epsilon )$$

(
k
-
1
-
ϵ
)

-stable instances of the problem which only have trivial isolating cuts: that is, the source set of the isolating cuts for each terminal is just the terminal itself. Thus, the $$(2-2/k)$$

(
2
-
2
/
k
)

-approximation does not return an optimal solution.
Choquet-Integral Aggregation Method to Aggregate Social Indicators to Account for Interactions: An Application to the Human Development Index
Authors: Pinar Mehmet
Published: June 2021

Composite well-being and sustainability indices are usually obtained as arithmetic and geometric means of sub-dimensions. However, the arithmetic mean does not consider potential interactions across the dimensions of the indices and the geometric mean does not penalize unbalanced achievements across dimensions strongly enough. This paper uses a flexible non-additive aggregation model—the Choquet integral—to account for potential synergies and redundancies of the dimensions that are used to obtain indices, and uses the Human development index (HDI) as an example to illustrate the flexibility of the aggregation procedure. This paper relies on multiple theoretical and empirical studies, which indicate mutually strengthening relationships (positive interactions) among the three HDI dimensions. To illustrate and show-case how positive interactions among the three HDI dimensions could be taken into account, this paper uses five hypothetical weight sets and simulates 500 weight sets that allow varying positive interactions among the three dimensions. The analyses with the HDI data suggest that both geometric and arithmetic mean HDI scores are roughly the same for most countries, even when variations across the three dimensions are relatively large. On the other hand, countries with balanced (unbalanced) achievements across dimensions rank in higher (lower) positions with the Choquet integral aggregation. The illustrations of this paper show-case how Choquet integral is a flexible aggregation method to take into account varying positive interactions across the HDI dimensions and able to detect unbalanced achievements.
Factive inferentialism and the puzzle of model-based explanation
Authors: Verreault-Julien Philippe
Published: June 2021

Highly idealized models may serve various epistemic functions, notably explanation, in virtue of representing the world. Inferentialism provides a prima facie compelling characterization of what constitutes the representation relation. In this paper, I argue that what I call factive inferentialism does not provide a satisfactory solution to the puzzle of model-based—factive—explanation. In particular, I show that making explanatory counterfactual inferences is not a sufficient guide for accurate representation, factivity, or realism. I conclude by calling for a more explicit specification of model-world mismatches and properties imputation.
A Rare Case Report of Prenatal Diagnosis of Bladder Exstrophy
Authors: Malhotra Anjali , Tomar Preeti Parekh
Published: June 2021

Bladder exstrophy is rare. We report a case and highlight the role of analysing various findings to come to a diagnosis.
AI ethics: A framework for measuring embodied carbon in AI systems
Authors: Mulligan Catherine , Elaluf-Calderwood Silvia
Published: June 2021

This paper outlines the ethical implications of AI from a climate perspective. So far, much of the discussion around AI ethics have focused on bias, unexplainable outcomes, privacy and other social impacts of such systems. The role and contribution of AI towards climate change and the ethical implications of its contribution to an unjust distribution of impact on the planet, humans and flora and fauna have not yet been covered in detail within the technical community. Within this paper, we aim to raise some of the issues of AI associated with climate justice and we propose a framework that will allow the AI and ICT industries to measure their true impact on the planet, propose an organisational structure to take this work forward and propose future research areas for this important topic.
Recognition of Psychogenic Versus Epileptic Seizures Based on Videos
Authors: Birca Veronica , Keezer Mark R. , Chamelian Laury , Lortie Anne , Nguyen Dang K.
Published: June 2021

Objective:

Ictal semiology interpretation for differentiating psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) and epileptic seizures (ESs) is important for the institution of appropriate treatment. Our objective was to assess the ability of different health care professionals (HCPs) or students to distinguish PNES from ES based on video-recorded seizure semiology.

Methods:

This study was designed following the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD) guidelines. We showed in a random mix 36 videos of PNES or ES (18 each) and asked 558 participants to classify each seizure. The diagnostic accuracy of various groups of HCPs or students for PNES versus ES was assessed, as well as the effect of patient age and sex. Measures of diagnostic accuracy included sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC).

Results:

The descending order of diagnostic accuracy (AUC) was the following (p ≤ 0.001): (1) neurologists and epileptologists; (2) neurology residents; (3) other specialists and nurses with experience in epilepsy; and (4) undergraduate medical students. Although there was a strong trend toward statistical difference, with AUC 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that were not overlapping, between epileptologists (95% CI 93, 97) compared to neurologists (95% CI 88, 91), and neurologists compared to electroencephalography technicians (95% CI 82, 87), multiple pairwise comparisons with the conservative Tukey–Kramer honest significant difference test revealed no statistical difference (p = 0.25 and 0.1, respectively). Patient age and sex did not have an effect on diagnostic accuracy in neurology specialists.

Conclusion:

Visual recognition of PNES by HCPs or students varies overall proportionately with the level of expertise in the field of neurology/epilepsy.
Safe before Green! The Greening of Volvo Cars in the 1970s–1990s
Authors: Bergquist Ann-Kristin , Näsman Mattias
Published: June 2021

Although the automobile industry has served as the backbone of much business history scholarship, business historians have paid little attention to this industry’s actions concerning the complex of environmental issues that took hold in the 1960s. Volvo represents a captivating case study to gain insight into why the automobile industry’s growth has been difficult to align with the shift toward environmental sustainability. Although Volvo pioneered the exhaust emission control technology on the U.S. market in the 1970s and gained an international reputation for high environmental and safety standards in the decades that followed, the company was unable to seriously address climate change in the 1990s. This article identifies several key factors impacting the automobile industry’s passive response to environmental challenges—for instance, weak and asymmetric emission control regulations on international markets, consumer preferences for larger cars (SUVs) in the 1990s, and a lack of systematic regulatory pressure to shift from fossil fuels and the internal combustion engine. In the case of Volvo, world leadership in safety standards, rather than low carbon emissions, constituted the company’s competitive advantage as climate change emerged as one of the most critical environmental issues in the 1990s.
Leader–member exchange as a mediator of the relationship between authentic leadership and employee creativity
Authors: Yıkılmaz İbrahim , Sürücü Lütfi
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this study was to acquire meaningful insights on the determinants of creativity with a meticulous examination, and by dint of that, expand the concerned literature. To accomplish the same, a conceptual model that includes authentic leadership, employee creativity, and leader–member exchange (LMX) was methodically developed and evaluated. This research is a quantitative study incorporating a self-report survey. The data were amassed from hotel employees in Northern Cyprus. Data from 314 applicable surveys were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)-22 and analysis of a moment structures (AMOS)-18 programs. Based on the findings, it can be deduced that authentic leadership has a considerable impact on employee creativity, while LMX plays an intermediary role in this relationship. The results of this study are useful and relevant for both researchers and policymakers.
Ocupaciones dispersas, paisajes persistentes: La arqueología de Anfama, Tucumán (400 aC-1500 dC)
Authors: Salazar Julián , Montegú Juan M. , Molar Rocío M. , Vázquez Fiorani Agustina , Franco Francisco , Moyano Gonzalo , Franco Salvi Valeria L.
Published: June 2021

A partir del análisis de la configuración de los paisajes arqueológicos en el bosque montano de las yungas tucumanas, entre 400 aC y 1500 dC, se discuten los cambios y continuidades en la práctica y las condiciones en las cuales estos se reprodujeron. Como resultado de las investigaciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en Anfama desde el año 2014, se identificaron 14 asentamientos residenciales de distinta escala, los cuales fueron mapeados, sondeados, fechados y, algunos de ellos, excavados. El análisis cronológico, realizado en base a contextos materiales y a 15 dataciones radiocarbónicas, permite proponer cuatro bloques temporales que se diferencian en las modalidades de construir y habitar los espacios domésticos y en la utilización de materias primas a través de determinadas tecnologías. Se discute cómo las trazas materiales de la práctica social traslapan a dicha segmentación cronométrica, de la misma manera en que eventos constructivos, habitacionales y depositacionales se superponen en determinados lugares. Finalmente, se reconocen tendencias de larga duración que giran en torno a la dispersión poblacional como atributo que define a los paisajes y a las lógicas sociales que se sostuvieron en el área de estudio por casi dos milenios.
CONSTRUCTING NONPROXY SMALL TEST MODULES FOR THE COMPLETE INTERSECTION PROPERTY
Authors: BRIGGS BENJAMIN , GRIFO ELOÍSA , POLLITZ JOSH
Published: June 2021

A local ring R is regular if and only if every finitely generated R-module has finite projective dimension. Moreover, the residue field k is a test module: R is regular if and only if k has finite projective dimension. This characterization can be extended to the bounded derived category
$\mathsf {D}^{\mathsf f}(R)$
, which contains only small objects if and only if R is regular. Recent results of Pollitz, completing work initiated by Dwyer–Greenlees–Iyengar, yield an analogous characterization for complete intersections: R is a complete intersection if and only if every object in
$\mathsf {D}^{\mathsf f}(R)$
is proxy small. In this paper, we study a return to the world of R-modules, and search for finitely generated R-modules that are not proxy small whenever R is not a complete intersection. We give an algorithm to construct such modules in certain settings, including over equipresented rings and Stanley–Reisner rings.
Caveolin-1 genetic polymorphism interacts with PUFA to modulate metabolic syndrome risk
Authors: Abaj Faezeh , Mirzaei Khadijeh
Published: June 2021

Several studies have reported a significant association between the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and mortality around the world. Caveolin-1 (CAV-1) has been widely studied in dyslipidaemia, and several studies have indicated that CAV-1 genetic variations may correlate with dietary intake of fatty acids. This study aimed to investigate the interaction of CAV-1 rs3807992 with types of dietary fatty acid in the MetS risk. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 404 overweight and obese females. Dietary intake was obtained from a 147-item FFQ. The CAV-1 genotype was measured using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Anthropometric values and serum levels (TC, LDL, HDL, TAG and FBS) were measured by standard methods. It was observed that the (AA + AG) group had significantly higher BMI, waist circumference and DBP (P = 0·02, P = 0·02, and P = 0·01, respectively) and lower serum LDL, HDL and TC (P < 0·05) than the GG group. It was found that A allele carriers were at higher odds of the MetS (P = 0·01), abdominal obesity (P = 0·06), increased TAG concentration (P = 0·01), elevated blood pressure (BP) (P = 0·01), increased glucose concentration (P = 0·45) and decreased HDL-cholesterol concentration (P = 0·03). Moreover, the interaction of CAV-1 and SFA intake was significant in terms of the MetS (P = 0·03), LDL (P = 0·03) and BP (P = 0·01). Additionally, the (AA + AG) group was significantly related to PUFA intake in terms of the MetS (P = 0·04), TAG (P = 0·02), glucose (P = 0·02) and homoeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (P = 0·01). Higher PUFA consumption might attenuate the CAV-1 rs3807992 associations with the MetS, and individuals with greater genetic predisposition appeared to have a higher risk of the MetS, associated with higher SFA consumption.
Associations of total nut and peanut intakes with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a Japanese community: the Takayama study
Authors: Yamakawa Michiyo , Wada Keiko , Koda Sachi , Uji Takahiro , Nakashima Yuma , Onuma Sakiko , Oba Shino , Nagata Chisato
Published: June 2021

Numerous epidemiological studies have suggested that nut intake is associated with a reduced risk of mortality. Although diets and lifestyles differ by regions or races/ethnicities, few studies have investigated the associations among non-white, non-Western populations. We evaluated the associations of total nut and peanut intakes with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a population-based prospective cohort in Japan. Participants (age: ≥35 years at baseline in 1992; n 31 552) were followed up until death or the end of follow-up in 2008. Those with cancer, CHD or stroke at baseline were excluded. Dietary intake was assessed only at baseline by using a validated FFQ. In total, 2901 men died during 183 299 person-years and 2438 women died during 227 054 person-years. The mean intakes of total nuts were 1·8 and 1·4 g/d in men and women, respectively. Although peanut intake accounted for approximately 80 % of the total nut intake, total nut and peanut intakes were inversely associated with all-cause mortality in men after adjusting for all potential confounders. For example, compared with the lowest quartile category, the adjusted hazard ratio (95 % CI) of total nut intake for all-cause mortality in men of the highest quartile category was 0·85 (95 % CI 0·75, 0·96) (Pfor trend = 0·034). Peanut intake was inversely associated with digestive disease mortality in men and CVD mortality in women. Total nut and peanut intakes, even in low amounts, were associated with a reduced risk of mortality particularly in men.
‘The good English’: The ideological construction of the target language in adult ESOL
Authors: Swift Kelsey
Published: June 2021

This project problematizes hegemonic conceptions of language by looking at the construction of ‘English’ in a nonprofit, community-based adult ESOL program in New York. I use ethnographic observation and interviews to uncover the discursive and pedagogical practices that uphold these hegemonic conceptions in this context. I find that the structural conditions of the program perpetuate a conception of ‘English’ shaped by linguistic racism and classism, despite the program's progressive ideals. Linguistic authority is centralized through the presentation of a closed linguistic system and a focus on replication of templatic language. This allows for the drawing of linguistic borders by pathologizing forms traditionally associated with racialized varieties of English, pointing to the persistence of raciolinguistic ideologies. Nevertheless, students destabilize these dominant ideas, revealing a disconnect between mainstream understandings of language and the way adult immigrant learners actually use language, and pointing to possibilities for alternate conceptions and pedagogies. (Language ideology, raciolinguistics, Standard English, adult ESOL)
Lucan/The Word at War
Authors: Henderson John
Published: June 2021

there is a word — which bears a sword — can pierce an armed man

it hurls its barbed syllables — and is mute again

where it fell — the saved will tell — on patriotic day

some epauletted brother — gave his breath away

Dickinson (c. 1858)

your gaze scans the streets as if they were written pages:

the city says everything you must think,

makes you repeat her discourse,

and while you believe you are visiting Tarnara

you are only recording the names with which she defines herself and all her parts

Calvino (1979)

1.1. Since ‘World War War 2’ the study of Lucan's rhetoric has made successful, if sporadic and contested, advances on many fronts; much remains to be done for his poetic. It is likely that the ‘unassuming’ exegetical form of attention traditionally represented in classical scholarship by the former has favoured its development: youmayidentify a crazy (ab)use of, say, metalepsis without committing yourself to a particular valuation of a text; whereas the axiomatically enthusiastic valuation embodied in the study of poetics must soon come hard up against the trench-lines of hierarchies of sensibility and taste. JusthowgoodisLucan —I mean, as ‘a poet’?The often unspoken gloss is nearly always the (sub)agenda (Theansweris, still: ‘Quitegood:Silver.’). Those who have steadied their sightshavemade out a poet's design, a fight to achieve a strong identity over against his inheritance, working through and against the traditional battery of schemata.
Severe coarctation of the aorta without a severely elevated echocardiographic pressure gradient: a case highlighting the importance of aortic Doppler flow profile
Authors: Agarwal Ankit , Barr Lori L. , Steiner Matthew B.
Published: June 2021

An asymptomatic 5-year-old male was diagnosed with severe coarctation of the aorta despite normal peak flow velocity with pathology identified on the basis of Doppler flow profile.
Price promotions offered by quick service restaurants in Australia: analysis from an obesity prevention perspective
Authors: Looi Evelyn SY , Backholer Kathryn , Cameron Adrian J , Grigsby-Duffy Lily , Orellana Liliana , Sacks Gary
Published: June 2021

Objective:

To assess the price promotions offered by major quick service restaurant (QSR) chains in Australia from an obesity prevention perspective.

Design:

Cross-sectional audit of ten of the largest QSR chains in Australia. We collected information regarding temporary price promotions and ‘combination deals’ offered by each chain over thirteen consecutive weeks in 2019–2020. We assessed the type of promotions, the magnitude of discount, and the energy content and healthiness of items promoted (based on Victorian Government criteria).

Setting:

Melbourne, Australia.

Participants:

Ten major QSR chains.

Results:

Temporary price promotions (n 196) and combination deals (n 537 on regular menus, n 36 on children’s menus) were observed across the ten selected QSR chains. In relation to temporary price promotions, the mean magnitude of discount for main menu items (n 75) was 41·7 %. The price reductions and energy content of combination deals varied substantially the by chain, the meal size and the sides/drinks selected as part of the ‘deal’. When the lowest-energy options (e.g. small chips, small sugar-free drink) were included as part of each combination deal, the mean energy content was 2935 kJ, compared to 5764 kJ when the highest-energy options (e.g. large fries, large sugar-sweetened drink) were included. Almost all available products were classified as unhealthy.

Conclusion:

Price promotions are ubiquitous in major QSR chains in Australia and provide incentives to consume high levels of energy. The action to restrict price promotions on unhealthy foods and ensure lower-energy default items as part of combination deals should be included as part of efforts to improve population diets and address obesity in Australia.
#patientstoo – Professional sexual misconduct by healthcare professionals towards patients: a representative study
Authors: Clemens V. , Brähler E. , Fegert J. M.
Published: June 2021

Aims

Sexual border violations are a severe problem in the healthcare system. Studies using non-probability samples indicate a high prevalence of professional sexual misconduct (PSM) towards patients. However, valid prevalence rates are lacking.

Methods

We did a cross-sectional, observational study in Germany from February to April 2020. By different sampling steps, a probability sample of the German population above the age of 14 was generated. The final sample consisted 2503 persons (50.2% female, mean age: 49.5 years). Participants were asked about sexual contacts with and sexual harassment by healthcare professionals. Using descriptive statistics, prevalence rates of PSM were estimated.

Results

PSM was reported by 56 (4.5%) female and 17 (1.4%) male participants. In detail, 28 (2.2%) female and 10 (0.8%) male participants reported sexual contacts with healthcare professionals. One third of these sexual contacts took place before the age of 18 and one third against the will of the patients. 40 (3.2%) female and 8 (0.6%) male participants reported unnecessary physical examinations, 31 (2.5%) female and 7 (0.6%) male participants reported sexual harassment. The majority of perpetrators were male.

Conclusions

Our data provide an important first insight into the prevalence of PSM by healthcare professionals towards patients in a representative sample. Results suggest a high prevalence of PSM in the general population of Germany. Preventive measures to increase awareness of PSM and concepts for protection of patients are needed.
Everyday Scandals: Regulating the Buddhist Monastic Body in Thai Media
Authors: Schedneck Brooke
Published: June 2021

Although allegations of monastic financial embezzlement and sexual misconduct are the most frequent and outrageous monastic scandals reported in Thailand's media outlets, this article discusses a separate category of scandal I label ‘everyday scandals.’ This type of scandal describes the phenomenon of monks committing bodily transgressions, including inappropriate behaviours outside the temple and unacceptable presentations of the body. For Thai Buddhist laity, photos of monks taking trips to the mall and working out at a gym can be indicators that their religion is in decline. A proper male monastic body enacting acceptable behaviour signals the difference of the monastic life from the lay life, ensuring the efficacy of merit and ritual performance. The regulation of everyday monastic life is a fertile topic in Thai media. Because the Buddhist monastic institution is interconnected with the Thai nation-state, the male monastic body is a site of evaluation and critique. At stake is national Thai heritage and pride in Thailand's majority religion: Buddhism. Besides the strength of contemporary Thai Buddhism, everyday scandals also reveal continuity in the discourse of decline and anxiety over monastic behaviour, which began with the earliest Buddhist communities. The threat of Buddhism's decline is part of a continuum of debates within monastic texts and Buddhist history regarding proper monastic behaviours in public.
Strategies for increased yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) control in turfgrass with halosulfuron, sulfentrazone, and physical removal
Authors: Li Luqi , Sousek Matthew , Reicher Zachary , Gaussoin Roch
Published: June 2021

Yellow nutsedge is one of the most widely distributed and troublesome weeds in the world. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to optimize strategies for increased yellow nutsedge control in turfgrass with halosulfuron and sulfentrazone. In the field study in yellow nutsedge and perennial ryegrass mixture, single or sequential applications (3 wk after initial) of halosulfuron or sulfentrazone were made on June 3, June 23, July 15, or August 5 in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Percent yellow nutsedge control was rated within the same growing season on September 17 and the following year on June 3 for carryover control. Field and greenhouse studies confirm that sequential applications of halosulfuron with a 3-wk interval resulted in >95% control in a yellow nutsedge–turfgrass mixture. In a greenhouse study, both herbicides reduced yellow nutsedge root and rhizome dry mass from 39% to 98%, reduced number of new tubers and tuber fresh weight from 38% to 100%, and prevented re-emergence. Sequential applications of either herbicide within a 3-wk interval early postemergence is recommended for optimal control. Herbicide application to yellow nutsedge using halosulfuron and sulfentrazone should be made as early as possible postemergence, preferably at the three- to five-leaf stage or 200 to 250 growing degree days (GDD, 10 C base). Mowing can be an effective method to reduce yellow nutsedge growth. Mowing at 7.6 cm weekly reduced yellow nutsedge rhizome dry mass by 55% and number of new tubers formed by 63% in the greenhouse study. Physical removal of yellow nutsedge plants such as hand-pulling can be an effective method to manage yellow nutsedge and is most effective at the three- to five-leaf stage (200 to 250 GDD). End-users can maximize yellow nutsedge control by integrating early herbicide treatments and cultural practices such as mowing and hand-pulling.
Seed rain potential in late-season weed escapes can be estimated using remote sensing
Authors: Kutugata Matthew , Hu Chengsong , Sapkota Bishwa , Bagavathiannan Muthukumar
Published: June 2021

The presence of a soil seedbank facilitates the persistence of annual weed species in arable fields. Soil weed seedbank is replenished by many sources, but the largest one is the seeds produced by uncontrolled late-season weed escapes. The estimation of weed seed production potential from late-season escapes may allow farmers to make appropriate management decisions to minimize seedbank replenishment. The objective of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of using unmanned aerial vehicle–based RGB and multispectral imagery for estimating seed rain potential in late-season weed escapes in crop fields. Three case studies were used to capture images of weed escapes before crop harvest: common waterhemp [Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) Sauer] in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], Palmer amaranth [Amaranthus palmeri (S.) Watson] in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), and johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.] in soybean. Randomly selected quadrats with different density gradients of weed escapes were sampled at the time of crop maturity. High-resolution RGB and multispectral images of the experimental area were collected using drones immediately before ground sample collection. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), excess green index (ExG), and canopy volume estimates derived from canopy height models were used to obtain weed biological measurements (biomass and seed production). Among the indices investigated, NDVI and ExG had very strong correlations (0.71 to 0.97) with weed biomass. No specific remote sensing variable was ideal across the three cases examined here, suggesting that a generalized remote sensing approach may not offer robust estimations and case-specific applications are imperative. Nonetheless, drone imagery is a powerful tool for estimating seed production from uncontrolled weed escapes and assisting with management decision making.
3‐D Structure of the Variscan Thrust Front in Northern France: New Insights From Seismic Reflection Profiles
Authors: Laurent A. , Averbuch O. , Beccaletto L. , Graveleau F. , Lacquement F. , Capar L. , Marc S.
Published: June 2021

In NW Europe, the late Carboniferous Variscan collision between the Laurussia and the Armorica‐Gondwana continental blocks led to the development of a crustal‐scale north‐verging thrust system along the southern Laurussian margin. In northern France, the 3‐D geometry and kinematics of the Variscan deformation front have been investigated on the basis of reprocessing and interpreting 532 km of industry‐level seismic reflection profiles. This extensive seismic imaging provides new constraints on the structural and kinematic features of the orogenic front. It particularly emphasizes the localization of displacement along the main frontal thrust zone that accommodated more than 50 km of total displacement of the allochthonous units above the foreland. It also highlights the induced large underthrusting of the foreland basin below the frontal thrust zone, and its truncation in a general out‐of‐sequence mode of thrust propagation. We built structural maps that led to better delineating a major NW‐SE lateral ramp along the main frontal thrust. The Mid‐Upper Devonian series within the flexured foreland were deformed at depth by N060–080° trending and N110–130° trending syn‐sedimentary normal faults that led to their south‐to southwestward thickening. These pre‐existing structures along the margin have exerted a primary control on the ensuing dynamics and geometry of the Northern Variscan Front by localizing both the frontal and lateral ramps during thrust wedge growth.
VISCOUS: A Variance‐Based Sensitivity Analysis Using Copulas for Efficient Identification of Dominant Hydrological Processes
Authors: Sheikholeslami Razi , Gharari Shervan , Papalexiou Simon Michael , Clark Martyn P
Published: June 2021

Global sensitivity analysis (GSA) has long been recognized as an indispensable tool for model analysis. GSA has been extensively used for model simplification, identifiability analysis, and diagnostic tests. Nevertheless, computationally efficient methodologies are needed for GSA, not only to reduce the computational overhead, but also to improve the quality and robustness of the results. This is especially the case for process‐based hydrologic models, as their simulation time typically exceeds the computational resources available for a comprehensive GSA. To overcome this computational barrier, we propose a data‐driven method called VISCOUS, variance‐based sensitivity analysis using copulas. VISCOUS uses Gaussian mixture copulas to approximate the joint probability density function of a given set of input‐output pairs for estimating the variance‐based sensitivity indices. Our method identifies dominant hydrologic factors by recycling existing input‐output data, and thus can deal with arbitrary sample sets drawn from the input‐output space. We used two hydrologic models of increasing complexity (HBV and VIC) to assess the performance of VISCOUS. Our results confirm that VISCOUS and the conventional variance‐based method can detect similar important and unimportant factors. Furthermore, the VISCOUS method can substantially reduce the computational cost required for sensitivity analysis. Our proposed method is particularly useful for process‐based models with many uncertain parameters, large domain size, and high spatial and temporal resolution.
Efficacy and tolerability of baclofen in a U.S. community population with alcohol use disorder: a dose-response, randomized, controlled trial
Authors: Garbutt James C. , Kampov-Polevoy Alexei B. , Pedersen Cort , Stansbury Melissa , Jordan Robyn , Willing Laura , Gallop Robert J.
Published: June 2021

Identification of new medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is important for improving treatment options. Baclofen, a GABABagonist, has been identified as a potential pharmacotherapy for AUD. In a 16-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we investigated 30 and 90 mg/day of baclofen compared to placebo and examined effects of dose, sex, and level of pretreatment drinking. One hundred and twenty participants with DSM-IV alcohol dependence (age 46.1 (sd = 10.1) years, 51.7% male) were randomized after exclusion for unstable medical/psychiatric illness and/or dependence on drugs other than nicotine. Seventy-three participants completed the trial. A main effect of baclofen was found [%HDD (F(2,112) = 4.16,p = 0.018,d = 0.51 95%CI (0.06–0.95), 13.6 fewer HDD) and %ABST (F(2,112) = 3.68,p = 0.028,d = 0.49 95%CI (0.04–0.93), 12.9 more abstinent days)] and was driven by the 90 mg/day dose. A sex × dose interaction effect was present for both %HDD (F(2,110) = 5.48,p = 0.005) and %ABST (F(2,110) = 3.19,p = 0.045). Men showed a marginally positive effect for 90 mg/day compared to PBO (%HDD t(110) = 1.88,p = 0.063,d = 0.36 95%CI (−0.09–0.80), 15.8 fewer HDD days; %ABST t(110) = 1.68 (p = 0.096,d = 0.32 95%CI (−0.12–0.76), 15.7 more ABST)) with no effect for 30 mg/day. Women showed a positive effect for 30 mg/day (%HDD, t(110) = 3.19,p = 0.002,d = 0.61 95%CI (0.16–1.05), 26.3 fewer HDD days; %ABST t(110) = 2.73,p = 0.007,d = 0.52 95%CI (0.07–0.96), 25.4 more ABST days) with marginal effects for 90 mg/day on %ABST (p = 0.06) with drop-outs/dose reduction from sedative side-effects of 59% in women at 90 mg/day compared to 5% for men. These findings support the hypothesis that baclofen has efficacy in AUD and suggest that dose and sex be further explored as potential moderators of baclofen response and tolerability.
Targeting HIF-1 alpha transcriptional activity drives cytotoxic immune effector cells into melanoma and improves combination immunotherapy
Authors: Lequeux Audrey , Noman Muhammad Zaeem , Xiao Malina , Van Moer Kris , Hasmim Meriem , Benoit Alice , Bosseler Manon , Viry Elodie , Arakelian Tsolere , Berchem Guy , Chouaib Salem , Janji Bassam
Published: June 2021

Hypoxia is a key factor responsible for the failure of therapeutic response in most solid tumors and promotes the acquisition of tumor resistance to various antitumor immune effectors. Reshaping the hypoxic immune suppressive tumor microenvironment to improve cancer immunotherapy is still a relevant challenge. We investigated the impact of inhibiting HIF-1α transcriptional activity on cytotoxic immune cell infiltration into B16-F10 melanoma. We showed that tumors expressing a deleted form of HIF-1α displayed increased levels of NK and CD8+effector T cells in the tumor microenvironment, which was associated with high levels of CCL2 and CCL5 chemokines. We showed that combining acriflavine, reported as a pharmacological agent preventing HIF-1α/HIF-1β dimerization, dramatically improved the benefit of cancer immunotherapy based on TRP-2 peptide vaccination and anti-PD-1 blocking antibody. In melanoma patients, we revealed that tumors exhibiting high CCL5 are less hypoxic, and displayed high NK, CD3+, CD4+and CD8+T cell markers than those having low CCL5. In addition, melanoma patients with high CCL5 in their tumors survive better than those having low CCL5. This study provides the pre-clinical proof of concept for a novel triple combination strategy including blocking HIF-1α transcription activity along vaccination and PD-1 blocking immunotherapy.
Viral lysis modifies seasonal phytoplankton dynamics and carbon flow in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Biggs Tristan E G , Huisman Jef , Brussaard Corina P D
Published: June 2021

Phytoplankton form the base of marine food webs and are a primary means for carbon export in the Southern Ocean, a key area for global pCO2 drawdown. Viral lysis and grazing have very different effects on microbial community dynamics and carbon export, yet, very little is known about the relative magnitude and ecological impact of viral lysis on natural phytoplankton communities, especially in Antarctic waters. Here, we report on the temporal dynamics and relative importance of viral lysis rates, in comparison to grazing, for Antarctic nano- and pico-sized phytoplankton of varied taxonomy and size over a full productive season. Our results show that viral lysis was a major loss factor throughout the season, responsible for roughly half (58%) of seasonal phytoplankton carbon losses. Viral lysis appeared critically important for explaining temporal dynamics and for obtaining a complete seasonal mass balance of Antarctic phytoplankton. Group-specific responses indicated a negative correlation between grazing and viral losses in Phaeocystis and picoeukaryotes, while for other phytoplankton groups losses were more evenly spread throughout the season. Cryptophyte mortality was dominated by viral lysis, whereas small diatoms were mostly grazed. Larger diatoms dominated algal carbon flow and a single ‘lysis event’ directed >100% of daily carbon production away from higher trophic levels. This study highlights the need to consider viral lysis of key Antarctic phytoplankton for a better understanding of microbial community interactions and more accurate predictions of organic matter flux in this climate-sensitive region.
One-step preparation of antimicrobial silicone materials based on PDMS and salicylic acid: insights from spatially and temporally resolved techniques
Authors: Barbieri Luca , Sorzabal Bellido Ioritz , Beckett Alison J. , Prior Ian A. , Fothergill Jo , Diaz Fernandez Yuri A. , Raval Rasmita
Published: June 2021

In this work, we introduce a one-step strategy that is suitable for continuous flow manufacturing of antimicrobial PDMS materials. The process is based on the intrinsic capacity of PDMS to react to certain organic solvents, which enables the incorporation of antimicrobial actives such as salicylic acid (SA), which has been approved for use in humans within pharmaceutical products. By combining different spectroscopic and imaging techniques, we show that the surface properties of PDMS remain unaffected while high doses of the SA are loaded inside the PDMS matrix. The SA can be subsequently released under physiological conditions, delivering a strong antibacterial activity. Furthermore, encapsulation of SA inside the PDMS matrix ensured a diffusion-controlled release that was tracked by spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy, Attenuated Total Reflectance IR (ATR-IR), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The biological activity of the new material was evaluated directly at the surface and in the planktonic state against model pathogenic bacteria, combining confocal laser scanning microscopy, electron microscopy, and cell viability assays. The results showed complete planktonic inhibition for clinically relevant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and a reduction of up to 4 orders of magnitude for viable sessile cells, demonstrating the efficacy of these surfaces in preventing the initial stages of biofilm formation. Our approach adds a new option to existing strategies for the antimicrobial functionalisation of a wide range of products such as catheters, wound dressings and in-dwelling medical devices based on PDMS.
Stress distribution of different lumbar posterior pedicle screw insertion techniques: a combination study of finite element analysis and biomechanical test
Authors: Song Mingzhi , Sun Kebin , Li Zhonghai , Zong Junwei , Tian Xiliang , Ma Kai , Wang Shouyu
Published: June 2021

At present, the pedicle screw is the most commonly used internal fixation device. However, there are many kinds of common posterior pedicle screw insertion techniques performed to reconstruct the lumbar stability. Therefore, spinal surgeons often face a difficult choice. The stress distribution of internal fixation system is an important index for evaluating safety. Unfortunately, little had been known about the difference of stress distribution of screw-rod systems that established by Roy-Camille, Magerl and Krag insertion techniques. Here, combination of finite element analysis and model measurement research was adopted to evaluate the difference of stress. Following different pedicle screw insertion techniques, three lumbar posterior surgery models were established after modeling and validation of the L1–S1 vertebrae finite element model. By analyzing the data, we found that stress concentration phenomenon was in all the postoperative models. Roy-Camille and Magerl insertion techniques led to the great stress on screw-rod systems. Then, fresh frozen calf spines were selected as a model for subsequent measurements. Fitted with a specially designed test pedicle screw, L5–L6 vertebrae were selected to repeat and verify the results of the finite element analysis. With the aid of universal testing machine and digital torque wrench, models simulated flexion, extension, lateral bending and rotation. Finally, the strain value was captured by the strain gauge and was then calculated as the stress value. Krag and Magerl were found to be the safer choice for pedicle screw insertion. Overall, our combination method obtained the reliable result that Krag insertion technique was the safer approach for pedicle screw implantation due to its relatively dispersive stress. Therefore, without the consideration of screw size, pedicle fill, bone density, and bone structures, we recommend the Krag insertion technique as the first choice to reconstruction of lumbar stability. Additionally, the combination method of finite element analysis and strain gauge measurement can provide a feasible way to study the stress distribution of spinal internal fixation.