bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using a lab wiki for longevity and knowledge transfer in undergraduate research
Authors: Nagan Maria C.
Published: May 2020

Continuity in research group collective knowledge is critical for running a successful research program, but in an undergraduate research lab, this can be particularly challenging. A wiki site dedicated to the research laboratory, a lab wiki, can bridge gaps in student‐to‐student knowledge transfer and contribute to the longevity of a research program. A lab wiki is an organized, easily accessible, collaborative resource that can contain tutorials, group‐specific directions, links to resources, and guides to writing papers or proposals. The wiki language is easy for students to pick up and contributes to their participation in preserving group knowledge. This tutorial introduces the concept of a lab wiki, the advantages of it, example content, and practical implementation advice.
Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma presenting with cavitary lung disease
Authors: Hibino Yukiko , Imai Ryosuke , Jinta Torahiko
Published: May 2020

Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with cavitary lung disease is rare and is often difficult to differentiate from primary lung cancer, granulomatous disease, or an infectious disease based on imaging findings alone. We herein report a case in which a patient with DLBCL presented with cavitary lung disease and splenic mass, which was diagnosed by transbronchial biopsy. DLBCL should be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients with cavitary lung diseases who have rare metastatic lesions for primary lung cancer, such as intra‐abdominal lymph nodes or spleen.
Input‐to‐state stability of impulsive switched nonlinear time‐delay systems with two asynchronous switching phenomena
Authors: Wang Zhichuang , Sun Jian , Chen Jie
Published: May 2020

This summary addresses the input‐to‐state stability (ISS) and integral ISS (iISS) problems of impulsive switched nonlinear time‐delay systems (ISNTDSs) under two asynchronous switching effects. In our investigated systems, impulsive instants and switching instants do not necessarily coincide with each other. Meanwhile, systems switching signals are not simultaneous with the corresponding controllers switching signals, which will induce instability seriously, and cause many difficulties and challenges. By utilizing methods of Lyapunov‐Krasovskii and Lyapunov‐Razumikhin, mode‐dependent average dwell time approach, and mode‐dependent average impulsive interval technique, some stability criteria are presented for ISNTDSs under two asynchronous switching effects. Our proposed results improve the related existing results on the same topic by removing some restrictive conditions and cover some existing results as special cases. Finally, some simulation examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of our results.
Link adaptation and SINR errors in practical multicast multibeam satellite systems with linear precoding
Authors: Tato Anxo , Andrenacci Stefano , Lagunas Eva , Chatzinotas Symeon , Mosquera Carlos
Published: May 2020

The application of linear precoding at the gateway side enables broadband multibeam satellite systems to use more aggressive frequency reuse patterns increasing the overall capacity of future high‐throughput satellites (HTS). In any practical precoded system, receivers can estimate only a few coefficients of the channel state information (CSI), while the others, in what is known as nullification, are set to zero. In this paper, the impact of the CSI nullification to the SINR estimation is analyzed statistically and geographically for a multicast multibeam satellite system. The errors in the SINR calculated by the gateway affect to the modulation and coding schemes (MCSs) selection, increasing the rate of erroneous frames or leading to an underutilization of the available resources. Therefore, as countermeasure, a link adaptation algorithm based on an adaptive margin per user is proposed, helping to achieve the error rate constraints of DVB‐S2X systems without compromising the throughput, even under severe CSI degradation due to nullification and Rician fading.
Spectroscopic insights into adhesion failure at the buried epoxy‐metal interphase using AFM‐IR
Authors: Morsch Suzanne , Lyon Stuart , Gibbon Simon
Published: May 2020

Local AFM‐IR analysis is performed on the organic coating residues remaining on carbon steel substrates after pull‐off adhesion tests. This approach provides unique spectral information, because scattering from these rough substrates has previously prohibited transflectance FTIR analysis of such regions. The AFM‐IR spectra of epoxy‐amine residues display characteristic oxidation bands, which can only be detected by ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy of intact coatings after thermal aging. These oxidation bands are shown to be more intense for thinner coating remnants and dominate the spectra of residue left by coatings removed after thermal aging at 70°C for 4 weeks. This, alongside distinctive changes in the macroscopic adhesion behavior after thermal aging, provides direct evidence that rapid oxidation occurs in the buried polymer‐metal interphase during thermal aging.
One‐stage individual participant data meta‐analysis models for continuous and binary outcomes: Comparison of treatment coding options and estimation methods
Authors: Riley Richard D. , Legha Amardeep , Jackson Dan , Morris Tim P. , Ensor Joie , Snell Kym I.E. , White Ian R. , Burke Danielle L.
Published: May 2020

A one‐stage individual participant data (IPD) meta‐analysis synthesizes IPD from multiple studies using a general or generalized linear mixed model. This produces summary results (eg, about treatment effect) in a single step, whilst accounting for clustering of participants within studies (via a stratified study intercept, or random study intercepts) and between‐study heterogeneity (via random treatment effects). We use simulation to evaluate the performance of restricted maximum likelihood (REML) and maximum likelihood (ML) estimation of one‐stage IPD meta‐analysis models for synthesizing randomized trials with continuous or binary outcomes. Three key findings are identified. First, for ML or REML estimation of stratified intercept or random intercepts models, a t‐distribution based approach generally improves coverage of confidence intervals for the summary treatment effect, compared with a z‐based approach. Second, when using ML estimation of a one‐stage model with a stratified intercept, the treatment variable should be coded using “study‐specific centering” (ie, 1/0 minus the study‐specific proportion of participants in the treatment group), as this reduces the bias in the between‐study variance estimate (compared with 1/0 and other coding options). Third, REML estimation reduces downward bias in between‐study variance estimates compared with ML estimation, and does not depend on the treatment variable coding; for binary outcomes, this requires REML estimation of the pseudo‐likelihood, although this may not be stable in some situations (eg, when data are sparse). Two applied examples are used to illustrate the findings.
Probabilistic corrosion condition assessment of a tunnel structure
Authors: Keßler Sylvia
Published: May 2020

Reinforced concrete structures constitute the basis of our infrastructure. Their functionality and structural safety is essential to maintain our mobility and the industrial performance of our societies. Unexpected maintenance can lead to serious economic consequences. Most industrial countries are faced with the fact that the reliability of their infrastructure has decreased over the past decades due to ageing and associated durability issues. Most often reinforcement corrosion is the major problem with respect to ageing phenomena observed. Therefore, data from corrosion inspection and their implementation in probabilistic corrosion condition assessment are considered to be of major importance to assist engineers in the maintenance process. Reliable information about the corrosion condition state can be derived through half‐cell potential measurements. The half‐cell potential measurement method is an easy to apply nondestructive measurement method to detect ongoing corrosion. The procedure on how to update the service life based on a probabilistic treatment of measured half‐cell potentials is presented in a case study of a chloride‐contaminated reinforced concrete structure. Besides the chosen probabilistic model, major impact on the accuracy of the updated service life has the evaluation of the half‐cell potential measurements.
Decoding chemical information from vibrational spectroscopy data: Local vibrational mode theory
Authors: Kraka Elfi , Zou Wenli , Tao Yunwen
Published: May 2020

Modern vibrational spectroscopy is more than just an analytical tool. Information about the electronic structure of a molecule, the strength of its bonds, and its conformational flexibility is encoded in the normal vibrational modes. On the other hand, normal vibrational modes are generally delocalized, which hinders the direct access to this information, attainable only via local vibration modes and associated local properties. Konkoli and Cremer provided an ingenious solution to this problem by deriving local vibrational modes from the fundamental normal modes, obtained in the harmonic approximation of the potential, via mass‐decoupled Euler–Lagrange equations. This review gives a general introduction into the local vibrational mode theory of Konkoli and Cremer, elucidating how this theory unifies earlier attempts to obtain easy to interpret chemical information from vibrational spectroscopy: (a) the local mode theory furnishes bond strength descriptors derived from force constant matrices with a physical basis, (b) provides the highly sought after extension of the Badger rule to polyatomic molecules, (c) and offers a simpler way to derive localized vibrations compared to the complex route via overtone spectroscopy. Successful applications are presented, including a new measure of bond strength, a new detailed analysis of infrared/Raman spectra, and the recent extension to periodic systems, opening a new avenue for the characterization of bonding in crystals. At the end of this review the LMODEA software is introduced, which performs the local mode analysis (with minimal computational costs) after a harmonic vibrational frequency calculation optionally using measured frequencies as additional input.

This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Molecular Structures

Theoretical and Physical Chemistry > Spectroscopy

Software > Quantum Chemistry

Electronic Structure Theory > Ab Initio Electronic Structure Methods
What is resilience: an affiliative neuroscience approach
Authors: Feldman Ruth
Published: May 2020

Resilience – a key topic in clinical science and practice – still lacks a clear conceptualization that integrates its evolutionary and human‐specific features, refrains from exclusive focus on fear physiology, incorporates a developmental approach, and, most importantly, is not based on the negation (i.e., absence of symptoms following trauma). Building on the initial condition of mammals, whose brain matures in the context of the mother's body and caregiving behavior, we argue that systems and processes that participate in tuning the brain to the social ecology and adapting to its hardships mark the construct of resilience. These include the oxytocin system, the affiliative brain, and biobehavioral synchrony, all characterized by great flexibility across phylogenesis and ontogenesis. Three core features of resilience are outlined: plasticity, sociality and meaning. Mechanisms of sociality by which coordinated action supports diversity, endurance and adaptation are described across animal evolution. Humans' biobehavioral synchrony matures from maternal attuned behavior in the postpartum to adult‐adult relationships of empathy, perspective‐taking and intimacy, and extends from the mother‐child relationship to other affiliative bonds throughout life, charting a fundamental trajectory in the development of resilience. Findings from three high‐risk cohorts, each tapping a distinct disruption to maternal‐infant bonding (prematurity, maternal depression, and early life stress/trauma), and followed from birth to adolescence/young adulthood, demonstrate how components of the neurobiology of affiliation confer resilience and uniquely shape the social brain.
Safety of 80 antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti‐attention‐deficit/hyperactivity medications and mood stabilizers in children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders: a large scale systematic meta‐review of 78 adverse effects
Authors: Solmi Marco , Fornaro Michele , Ostinelli Edoardo G. , Zangani Caroline , Croatto Giovanni , Monaco Francesco , Krinitski Damir , Fusar‐Poli Paolo , Correll Christoph U.
Published: May 2020

Mental disorders frequently begin in childhood or adolescence. Psychotropic medications have various indications for the treatment of mental dis­orders in this age group and are used not infrequently off‐label. However, the adverse effects of these medications require special attention during developmentally sensitive periods of life. For this meta‐review, we systematically searched network meta‐analyses and meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), individual RCTs, and cohort studies reporting on 78 a priori selected adverse events across 19 categories of 80 psychotropic medications – including antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti‐attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications and mood stabilizers – in children and adolescents with mental disorders. We included data from nine network meta‐analyses, 39 meta‐analyses, 90 individual RCTs, and eight cohort studies, including 337,686 children and adolescents. Data on ≥20% of the 78 adverse events were available for six antidepressants (sertraline, escitalopram, paroxetine, fluoxetine, venlafaxine and vilazodone), eight antipsychotics (risperidone, quetiapine, aripiprazole, lurasidone, paliperidone, ziprasidone, olanzapine and asenapine), three anti‐ADHD medications (methylphenidate, atomoxetine and guanfacine), and two mood stabilizers (valproate and lithium). Among these medications with data on ≥20% of the 78 adverse events, a safer profile emerged for escitalopram and fluoxetine among antidepressants, lurasidone for antipsychotics, methylphenidate among anti‐ADHD medications, and lithium among mood stabilizers. The available literature raised most concerns about the safety of venlafaxine, olanzapine, atomoxetine, guanfacine and valproate. Nausea/vomiting and discontinuation due to adverse event were most frequently associated with antidepressants; sedation, extrapyramidal side effects, and weight gain with antipsychotics; anorexia and insomnia with anti‐ADHD medications; sedation and weight gain with mood stabilizers. The results of this comprehensive and updated quantitative systematic meta‐review of top‐tier evidence regarding the safety of antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti‐ADHD medications and mood stabilizers in children and adolescents can inform clinical practice, research and treatment guidelines.
Higgs production at NNLL′+NNLO using rapidity dependent jet vetoes
Authors: Gangal Shireen , Gaunt Jonathan R. , Tackmann Frank J. , Vryonidou Eleni
Published: May 2020

Abstract

The rapidity-dependent jet veto observables

$$ {\mathcal{T}}_{Bj} $$

T
Bj

and

$$ {\mathcal{T}}_{Cj} $$

T
Cj

provide a tight jet veto at central rapidity, gradually transitioning to a loose veto at forward rapidities. They divide the phase space into exclusive jet bins in a different way to the traditional jet veto observable p

T j
, and are advantageous to use under harsh pile-up conditions. We obtain predictions for the 0-jet gluon-fusion (ggF) Higgs cross section using both of these veto observables at NNLL′+NNLO, and compare these predictions to the prior state-of-the-art of NLL′+NLO. A significant reduction in perturbative uncertainty is observed going from NLL′+NLO to NNLL′+NNLO, with the NNLL′+NNLO predictions lying inside the uncertainty band of the NLL′+NLO predictions. We also investigate the relative sensitivities of ggF Higgs cross sections with

$$ {\mathcal{T}}_{Bj} $$

T
Bj

,

$$ {\mathcal{T}}_{Cj} $$

T
Cj

and p

T j
jet vetoes to underlying event and hadronisation effects using an NLO+parton shower calculation. We find that the cross sections with

$$ {\mathcal{T}}_{Bj} $$

T
Bj

and

$$ {\mathcal{T}}_{Cj} $$

T
Cj

vetoes have a reduced sensitivity to underlying event and hadronisation effects compared to that with a p

T j
veto.
Enhanced long-lived dark photon signals at the LHC
Authors: Du Mingxuan , Liu Zuowei , Tran Van Que
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We construct a model in which the standard model is extended by a hidden sector with two gauge U(1) bosons. A Dirac fermion ψ charged under both U(1) fields is introduced in the hidden sector which can be a subcomponent of the dark matter in the Universe. Stueckelberg mass terms between the two new gauge U(1) fields and the hypercharge gauge boson mediate the interactions between the standard model sector and the hidden sector. A remarkable collider signature of this model is the enhanced long-lived dark photon events at the LHC than the conventional dark photon models; the long-lived dark photons in the model can be discriminated from the background by measuring the time delay signal in the precision timing detectors which are proposed to be installed in the LHC upgrades and have an

$$ \mathcal{O} $$

O

(10) pico-second detection efficiency. Searches with current LHCb data are also investigated. Various experimental constraints on the model including collider constraints and cosmological constraints are also discussed.
Efficacy of repeated PSMA PET-directed radiotherapy for oligorecurrent prostate cancer after initial curative therapy
Authors: Henkenberens Christoph , Oehus Ann-Kathrin , Derlin Thorsten , Bengel Frank , Ross Tobias L. , Kuczyk Markus A. , Janssen Stefan , Christiansen Hans , von Klot Christoph A. J.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To assess the outcome of prostate cancer (PCa) patients diagnosed with oligorecurrent disease and treated with a first and a second PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen ligand) PET(positron-emission tomography)-directed radiotherapy (RT).

Patients and methods

Thirty-two patients with oligorecurrent relapse after curative therapy received a first PSMA PET-directed RT of all metastases. After biochemical progression, all patients received a second PSMA PET-directed RT of all metastases. The main outcome parameters were biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) and androgen deprivation therapy-free survival (ADT-FS). The intervals of BPFS were analyzed separately as follows: the interval from the last day of PSMA PET-directed RT to the first biochemical progression was defined as bPFS_1 and the interval from second PSMA PET-directed RT to further biochemical progression was defined as bPFS_2.

Results

The median follow-up duration was 39.5 months (18–60). One out of 32 (3.1%) patients died after 47 months of progressive metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa). All patients showed biochemical responses after the first PSMA PET-directed RT and the median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level before RT was 1.70 ng/mL (0.2–3.8), which decreased significantly to a median PSA nadir level of 0.39 ng/mL (range <0.07–3.8; p = 0.004). The median PSA level at biochemical progression after the first PSMA PET-directed RT was 2.9 ng/mL (range 0.12–12.80; p = 0.24). Furthermore, the PSA level after the second PSMA PET-directed RT at the last follow-up (0.52 ng/mL, range <0.07–154.0) was not significantly different (p = 0.36) from the median PSA level (1.70 ng/mL, range 0.2–3.8) before the first PSMA PET-directed RT. The median bPFS_1 was 16.0 months after the first PSMA PET-directed RT (95% CI 11.9–19.2) and the median bPFS_2 was significantly shorter at 8.0 months (95% CI 6.3–17.7) after the second PSMA PET-directed RT (p = 0.03; 95% CI 1.9–8.3). Multivariate analysis revealed no significant parameter for bPFS_1, whereas extrapelvic disease was the only significant parameter (p = 0.02, OR 2.3; 95% CI 0.81-4.19) in multivariate analysis for bPFS_2. The median ADT-FS was 31.0 months (95% CI 20.1–41.8) and multivariate analysis showed that patients with bone metastases, compared to patients with only lymph node metastases at first PSMA PET-directed RT, had a significantly higher chance (p = 0.007, OR 4.51; 95% CI 1.8–13.47) of needing ADT at the last follow-up visit.

Conclusion

If patients are followed up closely, including PSMA PET scans, a second PSMA PET-directed RT represents a viable treatment option for well-informed and well-selected patients.
Magnetresonanzelastographie der Leber
Authors: Plaikner Michaela , Kremser Christian , Viveiros André , Zoller Heinz , Henninger Benjamin
Published: May 2020

Hintergrund

Die Magnetresonanzelastographie (MRE) ist ein nichtinvasives, quantitatives, Magnetresonanz(MRT)-basiertes Verfahren zur Bestimmung derGewebesteifigkeit. Aufgrund der guten Reproduzierbarkeit, der möglichen Analyse großer Organflächen, der Durchführbarkeit bei Adipositas, Aszites und Darmgasüberlagerungen nimmt diese bildgebende Methode neben der Ultraschall(US)-Elastographie sowie der Biopsie vielerorts einen wichtigen Stellenwert in der Detektion und additiven Charakterisierung von Lebererkrankungen ein.

Ziel der Arbeit

Basierend auf der Literatur wird ein Überblick über die zugrundeliegende MRE-Methodik gegeben und die Technik des kommerziell erhältlichen Produktes vorgestellt. Es wird die praktische Durchführung, Analyse und Interpretation bei klinisch relevanten Fragestellungen veranschaulicht sowie ein Vergleich zur US-Elastographie angeführt.

Ergebnisse

Diese insgesamt noch relativjungeMRT-Methode ermöglicht eine umfassende Evaluierung mechanischer Eigenschaften der Leber und spielt insbesondere im Rahmen von Verlaufsuntersuchungen eine wichtige Rolle. Die MRE der Leber ist bei einer technischen Versagerrate von maximal 5,8 % eine robuste Technik mit hoher Treffsicherheit und exzellenter Retest-Reliabilität sowie Intra- und Interobserver-Reproduzierbarkeit. Es zeigt sich eine gute diagnostische Sicherheit im Rahmen der wichtigsten klinischen Indikation, der Fibrosequantifizierung, mit hoher Korrelation zu der noch alsGoldstandarddefinierten Biopsie.

Diskussion

Aufgrund der zunehmenden klinischen Bedeutung sowie des immer breiter werdenden Einsatzgebiets wird die MRE der Leber bereits in vielen Zentren ins Routineprotokoll miteingebunden, sodass zumindest Grundkenntnisse dieser Methode für jeden Radiologen/In unverzichtbar sind.
Challenges in the analytical determination of ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids and implications for environmental and human health
Authors: Björnsdotter Maria K. , Yeung Leo W. Y. , Kärrman Anna , Ericson Jogsten Ingrid
Published: May 2020

Ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids have recently gained attention due to increasing environmental concentrations being observed. The most well-known ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acid is trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) which has been studied since the 1990s. Potential sources and the fate of ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids other than TFA are not well studied and data reporting their environmental occurrence is scarce. The analytical determination of ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids is challenging due to their high polarity resulting in low retention using reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Furthermore, recent studies have reported varying extraction recoveries in water samples depending on the water matrix and different methods have been suggested to increase the extraction recovery. The present review gives an overview of the currently used analytical methods and summarizes the findings regarding potential analytical challenges. In addition, the current state of knowledge regarding TFA and other ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids, namely perfluoropropanoic acid, trifluoromethane sulfonic acid, perfluoroethane sulfonic acid, and perfluoropropane sulfonic acid‚ are reviewed. Both known and potential sources as well as environmental concentrations are summarized and discussed together with their fate and the environmental and human implications.
Transcription Profile of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Growing In Vitro
Authors: Dobránszki Judit , Hidvégi Norbert , Gulyás Andrea , Tóth Bianka , Teixeira da Silva Jaime A.
Published: May 2020

Despite countless papers on plant tissue culture, few have assessed the transcriptional changes that occur in a developing explant from the moment it is cut and plated, and during early stages of development. In this study, the mRNA profile of in vitro potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) plantlets derived from internode stems was assessed via four comparisons during five time intervals (0 h, 24 h, 48 h, 1 week, and 4 weeks) using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) classification. After screening KEGG metabolic groups, 35 processes were shown to be either up- or down-regulated. The vast majority (28 processes) were related to growth or development. The expression intensity of 40,430 genes was assessed and 158, 107, 163, and 142 sequences were either significantly up- or down-regulated at 0 h vs 24 h, 24 h vs 48 h, 48 h vs 1 week, and 1 week vs 4 weeks, respectively. A total of 10 DEGs coding for transcription factors were significantly down-regulated, including five ethylene-responsive transcription factors, and two probable WRKY transcription factors. RT-qPCR was used to validate RNA-seq data: Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients between SeqMonk LFC and RT-qPCR LFC were 0.748 and 0.879, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first transcriptomic assessment of the changes taking place in the mRNA profile of a developing potato stem explant.
Predictors for low TAVI-prosthesis position assessed by fusion imaging of pre- and post-procedural CT angiography
Authors: Breitbart Philipp , Pache Gregor , Minners Jan , Hein Manuel , Schröfel Holger , Neumann Franz-Josef , Ruile Philipp
Published: May 2020

Background

Low prosthesis position after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is associated with higher rates of new onset conduction disturbances and permanent pacemaker implantations. Purpose of this study was to investigate possible predictors of a low prosthesis position of the SAPIEN 3 (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California, USA) valve type using fusion imaging of pre- and post-procedural computed tomography angiography (CTA).

Methods

CTA fusion imaging was performed in 120 TAVI-patients with 3D-reconstruction of the transcatheter heart valve (THV) position within the device landing zone. A low implantation position was defined according to the manufacturer’s recommendations as > 30% of the prosthesis below the native annulus plane.

Results

A low THV position was found in 17 patients (14%). Patients with low THV position had less calcification of the annulus region and a smaller annulus size compared to patients with a normal or high THV position (P = 0.003 and 0.041, respectively). The only independent predictor of a low THV position in multivariate logistic regression analysis was the extent of calcification of the cusp region (odds ratio [CI] 0.842 [0.727–0.976], P = 0.022).

Conclusions

Fusion imaging of pre-and post-procedural CTA identified reduced calcification of the cusp region as an independent predictor of a low THV position of the SAPIEN 3. This should be considered when planning the TAVI procedure.

Graphic abstract

Correlation of cusp region calcification and prosthesis position after TAVI
Effects of Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 on exercise-induced disruption of gastrointestinal integrity
Authors: Mooren F. C. , Maleki B. H. , Pilat C. , Ringseis R. , Eder K. , Teschler M. , Krüger K.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of the probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) on the exercise-induced disruption of gastrointestinal (GI) integrity and the associated release of damage and inflammatory markers.

Methods

After a pre-performance test, 19 untrained subjects (aged 18–35 years) passed two identical exhaustive treadmill exercise tests in an intensity corresponding to 60–80% VO2max in a test–retest design. The exercise tests were separated by a time period of 4 weeks. During this period, all subjects ingested 5 ml of an EcN suspension daily. Serum samples were taken before, immediately following and 3 h after both exercise tests. They were analyzed for indicators of GI integrity (zonulin; claudin-3; LPS), various damage and redox markers (I-FABP, GOT; GPT; TBARS) and inflammatory parameters (hsCRP; leucocytes). GI complaints were evaluated by a questionnaire.

Results

The intake of EcN resulted in a significantly lower increase in I-FABP and TBARS after exercise (p < 0.05). In contrast, no effect of EcN supplementation was found for hsCRP and leucocyte numbers. Similarly, no differences were found for levels of zonulin and claudin-3. Exercise-associated GI complaints were not affected by the probiotic supplement.

Conclusion

The probiotic EcN reduced the exercise-associated increase in oxidative stress. This antioxidative mechanism probably leads to a reduction of GI epithelial damage after exhaustive exercise. The lack of EcN effects on other markers of GI permeability and systemic inflammation is most likely due to an inadequate exercise load, with rather small and insignificant exercise effects on these parameters.
Glucose transporters in pancreatic islets
Authors: Berger Constantin , Zdzieblo Daniela
Published: May 2020

The fine-tuning of glucose uptake mechanisms is rendered by various glucose transporters with distinct transport characteristics. In the pancreatic islet, facilitative diffusion glucose transporters (GLUTs), and sodium-glucose cotransporters (SGLTs) contribute to glucose uptake and represent important components in the glucose-stimulated hormone release from endocrine cells, therefore playing a crucial role in blood glucose homeostasis. This review summarizes the current knowledge about cell type-specific expression profiles as well as proven and putative functions of distinct GLUT and SGLT family members in the human and rodent pancreatic islet and further discusses their possible involvement in onset and progression of diabetes mellitus. In context of GLUTs, we focus on GLUT2, characterizing the main glucose transporter in insulin-secreting β-cells in rodents. In addition, we discuss recent data proposing that other GLUT family members, namely GLUT1 and GLUT3, render this task in humans. Finally, we summarize latest information about SGLT1 and SGLT2 as representatives of the SGLT family that have been reported to be expressed predominantly in the α-cell population with a suggested functional role in the regulation of glucagon release.
An improved Jaya algorithm with a modified swap operator for solving team formation problem
Authors: El-Ashmawi Walaa H. , Ali Ahmed F. , Slowik Adam
Published: May 2020

Forming a team of experts that can match the requirements of a collaborative task is an important aspect, especially in project development. In this paper, we propose an improved Jaya optimization algorithm for minimizing the communication cost among team experts to solve team formation problem. The proposed algorithm is called an improved Jaya algorithm with a modified swap operator (IJMSO). We invoke a single-point crossover in the Jaya algorithm to accelerate the search, and we apply a new swap operator within Jaya algorithm to verify the consistency of the capabilities and the required skills to carry out the task. We investigate the IJMSO algorithm by implementing it on two real-life datasets (i.e., digital bibliographic library project and StackExchange) to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of proposed algorithm against other meta-heuristic algorithms such as genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, African buffalo optimization algorithm and standard Jaya algorithm. Experimental results suggest that the proposed algorithm achieves significant improvement in finding effective teams with minimum communication costs among team members for achieving the goal.
Niederschlags-Abfluss-Modellierung im urbanen Raum
Authors: Krebs Gerald
Published: May 2020

Hydrologische Simulationen sind ein adäquates Mittel, um wasserwirtschaftliche Maßnahmen im urbanen Raum zu planen und deren Wirkungsweise zu evaluieren. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die Erstellung eines Niederschlags-Abfluss-Modells für den urbanen Raum durch die Verwendung von Open-Source-Software. Das Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) dient als Simulationssoftware, die Modellerstellung erfolgt mit Open-Source-GIS-Software und die Kalibrierung und Nachbereitung läuft über Pakete in R und Python. Abschließend wird der gesamte Modellaufbau an einem Anwendungsbeispiel erläutert.
Calycomorphotria hydatis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel species in the family Planctomycetaceae with conspicuous subcellular structures
Authors: Schubert Torsten , Kallscheuer Nicolai , Wiegand Sandra , Boedeker Christian , Peeters Stijn H. , Jogler Mareike , Heuer Anja , Jetten Mike S. M. , Rohde Manfred , Jogler Christian
Published: May 2020

A novel strain belonging to the family Planctomycetaceae, designated V22T, was isolated from sediment of a seawater fish tank in Braunschweig, Germany. The isolate forms pink colonies on solid medium and displays common characteristics of planctomycetal strains, such as division by budding, formation of rosettes, a condensed nucleoid and presence of crateriform structures and fimbriae. Unusual invaginations of the cytoplasmic membrane and filamentous putative cytoskeletal elements were observed in thin sections analysed by transmission electron microscopy. Strain V22T is an aerobic heterotroph showing optimal growth at 30 °C and pH 8.5. During laboratory cultivations, strain V22T reached generation times of 10 h (maximal growth rate of 0.069 h−1). Its genome has a size of 5.2 Mb and a G + C content of 54.9%. Phylogenetically, the strain represents a novel genus and species in the family Planctomycetaceae, order Planctomycetales, class Planctomycetia. We propose the name Calycomorphotria hydatis gen. nov., sp. nov. for the novel taxon, represented by the type strain V22T (DSM 29767T = LMG 29080T).
Tautonia plasticadhaerens sp. nov., a novel species in the family Isosphaeraceae isolated from an alga in a hydrothermal area of the Eolian Archipelago
Authors: Jogler Christian , Wiegand Sandra , Boedeker Christian , Heuer Anja , Peeters Stijn H. , Jogler Mareike , Jetten Mike S. M. , Rohde Manfred , Kallscheuer Nicolai
Published: May 2020

A novel planctomycetal strain, designated ElPT, was isolated from an alga in the shallow hydrothermal vent system close to Panarea Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Cells of strain ElPT are spherical, form pink colonies and display typical planctomycetal characteristics including division by budding and presence of crateriform structures. Strain ElPT has a mesophilic (optimum at 30 °C) and neutrophilic (optimum at pH 7.5) growth profile, is aerobic and heterotrophic. It reaches a generation time of 29 h (µmax = 0.024 h−1). The strain has a genome size of 9.40 Mb with a G + C content of 71.1% and harbours five plasmids, the highest number observed in the phylum Planctomycetes thus far. Phylogenetically, the strain represents a novel species of the recently described genus Tautonia in the family Isosphaeraceae. A characteristic feature of the strain is its tendency to attach strongly to a range of plastic surfaces. We thus propose the name Tautonia plasticadhaerens sp. nov. for the novel species, represented by the type strain ElPT (DSM 101012T = LMG 29141T).
Influence of Fuel Staging on Thermo-Acoustic Oscillations in a Premixed Stratified Dual-Swirl Gas Turbine Model Combustor
Authors: Arndt C. M. , Dem C. , Meier W.
Published: May 2020

In several technical combustion systems for lean, premixed combustion, mixture stratification plays an important role, such as in stationary and aero gas turbines. The current paper focuses on a detailed characterization of a dual-swirl gas turbine model combustor operated in a stratified regime. The influence of mixture stratification on flame stabilization and self-induced thermo-acoustic oscillations was studied using laser and optical diagnostics in combination with microphone probes to measure pressure oscillations in the plenums and combustion chamber. The overall flame-shape was imaged using OH* chemiluminescence. Laser Raman scattering was applied to study the thermo-chemical state of the flame, the flow-field was measured using Particle Image Velocimetry and pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber and in the air plenums were determined by using calibrated microphone probes. OH planar laser-induced fluorescence was used to determine fluctuations of the hot gas with high spatial resolution. Significant mixture stratification within the combustion chamber was found to only occur at or upstream of the flame root. Varying the stratification level did not significantly influence the mean flame shape and flow field, however, a clear influence on thermo-acoustic oscillations was observed.
Divergent Trajectories of BMI over Age for Adult Baka Pygmy People and their Sympatric Non-Pygmy Populations
Authors: Funk Stephan M. , Guerra Belén Palomo , de Mena Martínez Natalia , Ickowitz Amy , Fa Julia E.
Published: May 2020

Differences in socioeconomic conditions and health have been reported for African Pygmies and their sympatric populations of other ethnic groups. We collected anthropometric data in southern Cameroon from Baka and their Bantu neighbours, and also extracted data from the five available and representative Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in sub-Saharan African countries that have Pygmy populations..Our results show that the Baka exhibited a weak but significant decline of body mass index (BMI) with age (p = 0.003) without a sex difference. At a larger geographical scale, all five DHS surveys revealed flat or negative slopes for Pygmy BMI with age. Except for one non-Pygmy ethnic group, the slope was less than for all DHS- surveyed non-Pygmy African ethnicities. Pygmy populations were the least wealthy in all surveys, but no pattern for anaemia levels versus BMI emerged. We argue that the declining or stagnant trajectory of Pygmy BMI over age is most concerning, since this sets them apart not only from all other ethnic groups in the region, but from the general trend of increasing body weight over age. We suggest that our results do not reflect the influence of ethnicity per se, but the fact Pygmy populations are socially and materially deprived groups. These findings are fully aligned with the extraordinary high premature death rate among the Baka and need to be addressed for sustainable development initiatives to be effectively implemented.
Contemporary Pastoralism in the Dhofar Mountains of Oman
Authors: Ball Lawrence , MacMillan Douglas , Tzanopoulos Joseph , Spalton Andrew , Al Hikmani Hadi , Moritz Mark
Published: May 2020

In the Dhofar Mountains of Oman stakeholders are concerned about the social and ecological sustainability of pastoralism. In this study we used interviews with pastoralists to examine the prevailing drivers of pastoralism and how they are changing. We find that people are committed to pastoralism for sociocultural reasons but also that this commitment is under pressure because of husbandry costs and changing values. We find that capital investment in feedstuff enables pastoralists to overcome the density-dependent regulation of livestock populations. However, high production costs deter investment in marketing and commercialization, and there is little off take of local livestock. Our study reveals how pastoral values, passed down within households, motivate pastoralists in the face of high husbandry costs, modernization and social change.
The Twentieth Century Invention of Ancient Mountains: The Archaeology of Highland Aspromonte
Authors: Robb John , Chesson Meredith S. , Forbes Hamish , Foxhall Lin , Foxhall-Forbes Helen , Lazrus Paula Kay , Michelaki Kostalena , Chiodo Alfonso Picone , Yoon David
Published: May 2020

The high mountains of the Mediterranean are often considered as refuges of ancient traditions, particularly of pastoralism and brigandage. Is this image true? This paper reports the first systematic archaeological research on Aspromonte, Southern Calabria. Archaeological, cartographic and air photo evidence suggests that people used the high mountains in all periods from the Neolithic onwards. However, early usage was low-intensity and probably for special purposes such as iron-smelting, charcoal-burning and logging; only in the Classical Greek period was there sustained effort at inhabiting higher areas. The real development of the mountains came in the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries. From the 1920s onwards, there were large-scale, state-fostered projects for economic exploitation of forests, political control of territory, and creation of a recreational landscape. These endeavors tied into modernist ideas of the state, as well as period concepts such as Alpinism and healthy outdoor recreation for city dwellers. Ironically, as soon as these modern efforts made the high mountains accessible, they were assigned a chronotope, and were reimagined as the exemplification of an ancient way of life.
Syntax and processing in Seediq: a behavioral study
Authors: Ono Hajime , Kim Jungho , Sato Manami , Tang Apay Ai-yu , Koizumi Masatoshi
Published: May 2020

Syntactic properties such as word orders are a major factor determining the difficulty of a sentence. In SO-type languages where the subject (S) precedes the object (O) in canonical word order, there is clear evidence that the SO word order is preferred over the OS word order. We investigate to what extent this SO bias is maintained even in typologically diverse languages like Truku, an Austronesian language, in which the Verb-Object-Subject (VOS) word order is canonical and a syntactically basic structure, and SVO is the derived word order and a syntactically more complex structure. It is important to investigate word order preferences in Truku because such inquiries allow us to determine to what extent these widely observed processing preferences are grounded in properties of the linguistic system and/or somewhat more general human cognitive properties. The syntactic complexity account predicts that, in Truku, the derived SVO word order should be more costly, while the saliency account predicts that the word orders in which an agent precedes a theme is preferred. Our auditory comprehension experiment showed that the OS word order was preferred by native speakers of Truku. This indicates that the often-observed SO preference is not a universal feature of language. Furthermore, the lack of a clear indication of the agent-before-theme preference suggests a correlation between the voice property of a given language and the importance of the saliency factor.
Chaos in impact oscillators not in vain: Dynamics of new mass excited oscillator
Authors: Costa Dimitri , Vaziri Vahid , Kapitaniak Marcin , Kovacs Stephane , Pavlovskaia Ekaterina , Savi Marcelo A. , Wiercigroch Marian
Published: May 2020

This work explores complex dynamics of a new mass excited impact oscillator reported in Wiercigroch et al. (Nonlinear Dyn 99:323–339, 2020) both experimentally and numerically in the context of development of chaos theory and its applications. The parameters of the rig were characterised and are presented in the paper. To improve quality of the recorded phase portraits, a new technique for processing of the experimental data allowing to reduce the influence of noise and to obtain clear orbits especially for higher periods is proposed. A comparison with the previous studies on the base excited impact oscillator confirms that the rig is much more accurate as well as it has capability to generate a wide range of excitation patterns. It is demonstrated that a precise control of the excitation is achieved by changing the coil current. It is also shown that the rig is able to capture co-existent attractors and multi-stability by reproducing various predicted numerical responses, which has not been possible before. The results obtained using a simple impact oscillator model are in a good agreement with the experimental results, which indicates that the rig can be used for further fundamental studies of impact phenomena including grazing. It can also serve as a tool to study nonlinear control including bifurcation control and control of co-existing orbits.
The Non-carbonaceous–Carbonaceous Meteorite Dichotomy
Authors: Kleine T. , Budde G. , Burkhardt C. , Kruijer T. S. , Worsham E. A. , Morbidelli A. , Nimmo F.
Published: May 2020

The isotopic dichotomy between non-carbonaceous (NC) and carbonaceous (CC) meteorites indicates that meteorite parent bodies derive from two genetically distinct reservoirs, which presumably were located inside (NC) and outside (CC) the orbit of Jupiter and remained isolated from each other for the first few million years of the solar system. Here we review the discovery of the NC–CC dichotomy and its implications for understanding the early history of the solar system, including the formation of Jupiter, the dynamics of terrestrial planet formation, and the origin and nature of Earth’s building blocks. The isotopic difference between the NC and CC reservoirs is probably inherited from the solar system’s parental molecular cloud and has been maintained through the rapid formation of Jupiter that prevented significant exchange of material from inside (NC) and outside (CC) its orbit. The growth and/or migration of Jupiter resulted in inward scattering of CC bodies, which accounts for the co-occurrence of NC and CC bodies in the present-day asteroid belt and the delivery of presumably volatile-rich CC bodies to the growing terrestrial planets. Earth’s primitive mantle, at least for siderophile elements like Mo, has a mixed NC–CC composition, indicating that Earth accreted CC bodies during the final stages of its growth, perhaps through the Moon-forming giant impactor. The late-stage accretion of CC bodies to Earth is sufficient to account for the entire budget of Earth’s water and highly volatile species.
BrisSynBio Art-Science Dossier
Authors: Fannin Maria , Connor Katy , Roden David , Meacham Darian
Published: May 2020

Finding avenues for collaboration and engagement between the arts and the sciences (natural and social) was a central theme of investigation for the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Public Engagement programme at BrisSynBio, a BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre that is now part of the Bristol BioDesign Institute at University of Bristol (UK). The reflections and experiments that appear in this dossier are a sample of these investigations and are contributed by Maria Fannin, Katy Connor and David Roden. Darian Meacham coordinated and introduces the dossier.
On the use of actigraphy in clinical evaluation of diurnal blood pressure profile
Authors: Gorokhova Svetlana , Fietze Ingo , Glos Martin , Penzel Thomas , Buniatyan Migran , Atkov Oleg
Published: May 2020

A disturbed diurnal blood pressure profile is one of the most important risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. This review analyzes the use of simultaneous diurnal ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and motion activity monitoring (actigraphy) to obtain additional information for correct interpretation of ABPM results in clinically significant decision-making. The article considers practical aspects of actigraphy in expert ABPM for clock-independent calculation of the parameters of nighttime and daytime blood pressure (BP); detection of BP changes during sleep; connection with respiratory disturbances during sleep, motion activity, and body position; and sleep deprivation in shift workers. Original illustrations of simultaneous ABPM and actigraphy are provided.