bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resisting Positionings of Struggle in “Science of Teaching Reading” Discourse: Counterstories of Teachers and Teacher Educators in Texas
Authors: Mosley Wetzel Melissa , Skerrett Allison , Maloch Beth , Flores Tracey T. , Infante‐Sheridan Myra , Murdter‐Atkinson Jessica , Charlene Godfrey Vickie , Duffy Allie
Published: September 2020

Reading teachers and teacher educators are the latest to blame in public discourse for reading failure in the United States. In March 2019, Pearson Education released the draft of the Science of Teaching Reading Examination Framework for Texas, and the state’s teachers and teacher educators were called on to revise courses and programs in alignment. In this article, the authors provide an overview of the narratives drawn on to position teachers and teacher educators as struggling and the partiality of these narratives from our perspective as both professionally responsible and anti‐racist educators. The authors present three counterstories that exhibit how teachers and teacher educators are exceeding the expectations of the framework by foregrounding more complex, social justice–focused perspectives on readers and reading. The authors argue for the inclusion of professionals using anti‐oppressive and contextualized professional knowledge and practices to move the field forward.
Breakthrough Screening of Porous Materials: A Simple and Effective Tool for Database Generation
Authors: Piscopo Calogero G. , Polyzoidis Angelos , Werner David , Ahlhelm Matthias , Richter Hans‐Jürgen
Published: September 2020

The release of toxic and noxious gases in the atmosphere has become a big concern, due to its adverse effect on the health and life quality in general. The development of efficient filter materials can help to tackle this issue, considering that the production of such gases in various processes cannot be prevented. Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a promising class of material to adsorb several toxic industrial chemicals (TICs). Nevertheless, identifying the suitable MOF material to adsorb a specific gas is a challenging task due to the lack of fast characterization methods. Using a mass spectrometer‐detector, a simple setup has been developed and applied to register breakthrough curves and evaluate the retention capacity of selected MOFs against NH3 and H2S. The experimental results obtained using this in‐house assembled device are in agreement with several literature reports, resulting in a fast tool for the development of a gas adsorption database for porous materials. Additionally, for the specific case of Ni‐MOF‐74, the breakthrough measurements correlate well with the surface areas of the material, providing an additional and fast quality control method to evaluate the material synthesis.
Probiomimetics—Novel Lactobacillus‐Mimicking Microparticles Show Anti‐Inflammatory and Barrier‐Protecting Effects in Gastrointestinal Models
Authors: Kuhn Thomas , Koch Marcus , Fuhrmann Gregor
Published: September 2020

There is a lack of efficient therapies to treat increasingly prevalent autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease. Membrane vesicles (MVs) isolated from probiotic bacteria have shown tremendous potential for treating intestinal inflammatory diseases. However, possible dilution effects and rapid elimination in the gastrointestinal tract may impair their application. A cell‐free and anti‐inflammatory therapeutic system—probiomimetics—based on MVs of probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum) coupled to the surface of microparticles is developed. The MVs are isolated and characterized for size and protein content. MV morphology is determined using cryoelectron microscopy and is reported for the first time in this study. MVs are nontoxic against macrophage‐like dTHP‐1 and enterocyte‐like Caco‐2 cell lines. Subsequently, the MVs are coupled onto the surface of microparticles according to facile aldehyde‐group functionalization to obtain probiomimetics. A significant reduction in proinflammatory TNF‐α level (by 86%) is observed with probiomimetics but not with native MVs. Moreover, it is demonstrated that probiomimetics have the ability to ameliorate inflammation‐induced loss of intestinal barrier function, indicating their potential for further development into an anti‐inflammatory formulation. These engineered simple probiomimetics that elicit striking anti‐inflammatory effects are a key step toward therapeutic MV translation.
Nanoglass–Nanocrystal Composite—a Novel Material Class for Enhanced Strength–Plasticity Synergy
Authors: Katnagallu Shyam , Wu Ge , Singh Shiv Prakash , Nandam Sree Harsha , Xia Wenzhen , Stephenson Leigh T. , Gleiter Herbert , Schwaiger Ruth , Hahn Horst , Herbig Michael , Raabe Dierk , Gault Baptiste , Balachandran Shanoob
Published: September 2020

The properties of a material can be engineered by manipulating its atomic and chemical architecture. Nanoglasses which have been recently invented and comprise nanosized glassy particles separated by amorphous interfaces, have shown promising properties. A potential way to exploit the structural benefits of nanoglasses and of nanocrystalline materials is to optimize the composition to obtain crystals forming within the glassy particles. Here, a metastable Fe‐10 at% Sc nanoglass is synthesized. A complex hierarchical microstructure is evidenced experimentally at the atomic scale. This bulk material comprises grains of a Fe90Sc10 amorphous matrix separated by an amorphous interfacial network enriched and likely stabilized by hydrogen, and property‐enhancing pure‐Fe nanocrystals self‐assembled within the matrix. This composite structure leads a yield strength above 2.5 GPa with an exceptional quasi‐homogeneous plastic flow of more than 60% in compression. This work opens new pathways to design materials with even superior properties.
Stress‐Induced Failure Study on a High‐Temperature Air‐Stable Solar‐Selective Absorber Based on W–SiO2 Ceramic Composite
Authors: Yang Jiale , Shen Honglie , Yang Zhiyan , Zuo Yuxin , Zong Yang , Huo Xiaomin , Li Yufang
Published: September 2020

A stress‐induced failure study on a high‐temperature air‐stable ceramic composite solar selective absorber (SSA) based on a W–SiO2 system is reported. The as‐prepared SSA exhibits excellent spectral and structural stability after annealing in air at 500 °C for 36 h, proving its thermal stability against air corrosion. However, once the temperature is elevated to 600 °C, optical performance degradation and coating cracking happens. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal that an O‐induced phase transition process from α‐W to β‐W occurs at the interface between the W IR reflector and W–SiO2 layer during deposition. The phase transition induces immense internal stress, which becomes the incentive of crack generation. Further increasing the annealing temperature, drastic structural changes of oxidized W become the driving force for crack propagation and hole expansion, leading to a failure analogous to a volcanic eruption. To improve the temperature limit of coating, a Ni–SiO2 stress buffer layer is introduced and successfully reduces the internal stress through Ni atom substitution for W atoms. Therefore, the optimized SSA keeps stable at 600 °C and the cracking temperature increases to 650 °C. These results suggest that the W–SiO2‐based SSA is a good candidate for air‐stable high‐temperature solar thermal conversion.
Joint computation offloading and resource provisioning for edge‐cloud computing environment: A machine learning‐based approach
Authors: Shahidinejad Ali , Ghobaei‐Arani Mostafa
Published: September 2020

In recent years, the usage of smart mobile applications to facilitate day‐to‐day activities in various domains for enhancing the quality of human life has increased widely. With rapid developments of smart mobile applications, the edge computing paradigm has emerged as a distributed computing solution to support serving these applications closer to mobile devices. Since the submitted workloads to the smart mobile applications changes over the time, decision making about offloading and edge server provisioning to handle the dynamic workloads of mobile applications is one of the challenging issues into the resource management scope. In this work, we utilized learning automata as a decision‐maker to offload the incoming dynamic workloads into the edge or cloud servers. In addition, we propose an edge server provisioning approach using long short‐term memory model to estimate the future workload and reinforcement learning technique to make an appropriate scaling decision. The simulation results obtained under real and synthetic workloads demonstrate that the proposed solution increases the CPU utilization and reduces the execution time and energy consumption, compared with the other algorithms.
Overlap of Spatial and Temporal Spawning Distributions of Spring and Summer Chinook Salmon Results in Hybridization in the Upper Columbia River
Authors: Fraser Gregory S. , DeHaan Patrick W. , Smith Christian T. , Von Bargen Jennifer F. , Cooper Mathew R. , Desgrosseillier Thomas J.
Published: September 2020

The upper Columbia River in Washington State (main‐stem and tributary habitat between McNary and Chief Joseph dams) is inhabited by two major lineages of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha: endangered spring Chinook Salmon and summer Chinook Salmon, which are not Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed. The lineages are highly genetically divergent from one another, and historically, spatial and temporal isolating mechanisms maintained these genetic differences. Both lineages occur in the Entiat River, a system where anthropogenic activity has changed habitat, flows, species composition, and the distribution of the two lineages over the past century. We examined the spatial and temporal overlap in spawning distributions between Entiat River spring and summer Chinook Salmon, and we used genetic markers to assess the level of introgression between lineages. Redd surveys were conducted from 2003 to 2017 to describe spatial and temporal spawning patterns of both lineages. There was temporal overlap in spawning between lineages in several years and considerable spatial overlap in redd locations annually. We genotyped subyearling juvenile Chinook Salmon captured in the Entiat River from 2009 to 2014 at 90 single nucleotide polymorphism loci to determine lineage and hybridization status. Genetic analysis revealed that hybridization between lineages does occur, albeit at relatively low rates (2.6% of subyearling juveniles genotyped). We detected hybrids each year samples were collected, and they were distributed throughout the Entiat River basin. Hybridization between lineages of Chinook Salmon could result in introgression and a loss of genetic diversity between the lineages and/or a loss of production by ESA‐listed spring Chinook Salmon. The presence of hybrids warrants concern for ESA‐listed spring Chinook Salmon in both the Entiat River system and throughout the upper Columbia River basin.
3D mapping of soil organic carbon content and soil moisture with multiple geophysical sensors and machine learning
Authors: Rentschler Tobias , Werban Ulrike , Ahner Mario , Behrens Thorsten , Gries Philipp , Scholten Thomas , Teuber Sandra , Schmidt Karsten
Published: September 2020

Soil organic C (SOC) and soil moisture (SM) affect the agricultural productivity of soils. For sustainable food production, knowledge of the horizontal as well as vertical variability of SOC and SM at field scale is crucial. Machine learning models using depth‐related data from multiple electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors and a gamma‐ray spectrometer can provide insights into this variability of SOC and SM. In this work, we applied weighted conditioned Latin hypercube sampling to calculate 25 representative soil profile locations based on geophysical measurements on the surveyed agricultural field, for sampling and modeling. Ten additional random profiles were used for independent model validation. Soil samples were taken from four equal depth increments of 15 cm each. These were used to approximate polynomial and exponential functions to reproduce the vertical trends of SOC and SM as soil depth functions. We modeled the function coefficients of the soil depth functions spatially with Cubist and random forests with the geophysical measurements as environmental covariates. The spatial prediction of the depth functions provides three‐dimensional (3D) maps of the field scale. The main findings are (a) the 3D models of SOC and SM had low errors; (b) the polynomial function provided better results than the exponential function, as the vertical trends of SOC and SM did not decrease uniformly; and (c) the spatial prediction of SOC and SM with Cubist provided slightly lower error than with random forests. Hence, we recommend modeling the second‐degree polynomial with Cubist for 3D prediction of SOC and SM at field scale.
Systematic Adaptation of Exploration Force to Exploration Duration in Softness Discrimination
Authors: Zoeller Aaron C. , Drewing Knut
Published: September 2020

When interacting haptically with objects, humans enhance their perception by using prior information to adapt their behavior. When discriminating the softness of objects, humans use higher initial peak forces when expecting harder objects or a smaller difference between the two objects, which increases differential sensitivity. Here we investigated if prior information about constraints in exploration duration yields behavioral adaptation as well. When exploring freely, humans use successive indentations to gather sufficient sensory information about softness. When constraining the number of indentations, also sensory input is limited. We hypothesize that humans compensate limited input in short explorations by using higher initial peak forces. In two experiments, participants performed a 2 Interval Forced Choice task discriminating the softness of two rubber stimuli out of one compliance category (hard, soft). Trials of different compliance categories were presented in blocks containing only trials of one category or in randomly mixed blocks (category expected vs. not expected). Exploration was limited to one vs. five indentations per stimulus (Exp. 1), or to one vs. a freely chosen number of indentations (Exp. 2). Initial peak forces were higher when indenting stimuli only once. We did not find a difference in initial peak forces when expecting hard vs. soft stimuli. We conclude that humans trade off different ways to gather sufficient sensory information for perceptual tasks, integrating prior information to enhance performance.
Comparing Lateral Modulation and Amplitude Modulation in Phantom Sensation
Authors: Morisaki Tao , Fujiwara Masahiro , Makino Yasutoshi , Shinoda Hiroyuki
Published: September 2020

Phantom Sensation (PhS) is a tactile illusion in which a single sensation is elicited by stimulating two distant points. That sensation moves continuously between the two stimuli by changing the amplitude ratio. In this paper, we compared PhS for two types of tactile stimuli: lateral modulation (LM) of 20 Hz and amplitude modulation (AM) of 200 Hz. In LM, a stimulus point is moved periodically and laterally by several millimeters. In AM, the pressure is changed periodically at a fixed stimulation point. LM and AM are produced by ultrasound radiation pressure, where the force intensity of LM and AM were changed with the same temporal pattern. The results showed that the continuity and the localization of PhS elicited by LM at 20 Hz were significantly smaller than those elicited by AM at 200 Hz in 18 out of 24 conditions. However, PhS remained in all conditions that we used, regardless of LM or AM, even for an extremely long duration of 7.5 s and a short duration of 0.5 s.
Influence of Roughness on Contact Force Estimation During Active Touch
Authors: Shirakawa Kaho , Tanaka Yoshihiro
Published: September 2020

Haptic sensations consist of cutaneous information elicited on the skin and kinesthetic information collected by the musculoskeletal system; there is a bidirectional relationship between haptic sensations and exploratory movements. Previous researches have investigated exploratory movement strategies for active haptic perception and the influence of exploratory movements on haptic sensations. This paper investigates the influence of roughness on the estimation of contact force during the active touch of samples with different textures. Two stimuli with different roughness were prepared and the contact force was measured when the participants rubbed pairs of samples with identical and different stimuli under the instruction of keeping the contact force constant. Eleven healthy adults participated in the experiment. The results showed that the accuracy of controlling the contact force for identical samples was not significantly different between coarse and smooth textures, whereas the contact forces between the coarse and the smooth sample when rubbing pairs of them were significantly different for six of eleven participants. These participants overestimated the contact force exerted for the coarse stimulus in comparison with the smooth stimulus. Thus, the results imply that textures during rubbing can yield perceptual bias for the contact force exerted; however, there are individual differences for this effect. There might be a complex perception mechanism for kinesthetic information involving cutaneous information.
Green Fingers: Plant Thigmo Responses as an Unexplored Area for Haptics Research
Authors: Huisman Gijs
Published: September 2020

Haptics research has been firmly rooted in human perceptual sciences. However, plants, too, possess capabilities for detecting mechanical stimuli. Here, I provide a brief overview of plant thigmo (touch) perception research with the aim of informing haptics researchers and challenging them to consider applying their knowledge to the domain of plants. The aim of this paper is to provide haptics researchers with conceptual tools, including relevant terminology, plant response mechanisms, and potential technology applications to kickstart research into plant haptics.
The Impact of Control-Display Gain in Kinesthetic Search
Authors: Li Zhenxing , Akkil Deepak , Raisamo Roope
Published: September 2020

Kinesthetic interaction typically employs force-feedback devices for providing the kinesthetic input and feedback. However, the length of the mechanical arm limits the space that users can interact with. To overcome this challenge, a large control-display (CD) gain (>1) is often used to transfer a small movement of the arm to a large movement of the onscreen interaction point. Although a large gain is commonly used, its effects on task performance (e.g., task completion time and accuracy) and user experience in kinesthetic interaction remain unclear. In this study, we compared a large CD gain with the unit CD gain as the baseline in a task involving kinesthetic search. Our results showed that the large gain reduced task completion time at the cost of task accuracy. Two gains did not differ in their effects on perceived hand fatigue, naturalness, and pleasantness, but the large gain negatively influenced user confidence of successful task completion.
A 2-DoF Skin Stretch Display on Palm: Effect of Stimulation Shape, Speed and Intensity
Authors: Manasrah Ahmad , Alkhalil Shahnaz
Published: September 2020

Skin stretch has been widely utilized as a tactile display in different haptic applications. However, there has been little research focusing on skin stretch as a modality on the palm of the hand. In this study, a two dimensional tactor apparatus was designed and built to investigate the effects of stimulation speeds, shapes and intensities of skin stretch display on the palm. The tactor moved across the palm at different speeds to create stimulation shapes on the skin. Subjects reported the intensity of perceived stimuli and predicted speed rate of the tactor and stimulation shape and size. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the intensity of perceived tactile displays between different stimulation shapes and sizes. The results also showed the sizes and intensity of the stimulus grow larger with slower tactor speeds.
SwitchPaD: Active Lateral Force Feedback over a Large Area Based on Switching Resonant Modes
Authors: Xu Heng , Peshkin Michael A. , Colgate J. Edward
Published: September 2020

We present a new device, the SwitchPaD, to generate an active lateral force on a bare fingertip over a large touch area. Like our previous device, the UltraShiver, the SwitchPaD uses synchronization of in-plane ultrasonic oscillation and out-of-plane electroadhesion to generate force. The UltraShiver, however, relied on a single longitudinal resonance to produce oscillations, resulting in an inconsistent force profile. The SwitchPaD switches between the first and the second longitudinal mode based on the finger position, resulting in a much more consistent force profile across the touch surface. Experiments are used to compare the performance of two different modal switching strategies. Results indicate that the SwitchPaD can generate 250 mN peak active lateral force over a large area, and that, with the proper switching strategy, the switch itself is imperceptible.
A 6-DoF Zero-Order Dynamic Deformable Tool for Haptic Interactions of Deformable and Dynamic Objects
Authors: Ding Haiyang , Hasegawa Shoichi
Published: September 2020

Continuous collision detetion is required for haptic interactions with thin and fast-moving objects. However, previous studies failed to eliminate the force artifacts caused by the tool’s inertia. In this paper, we propose a multi-sphere proxy method for a 6-DoF deformable virtual tool with continuous collision detection. We use Zero-order Dynamics to avoid force artifacts caused by the tool’s inertia. In addition, we eliminate the “tunneling” problem introduced by the use of Zero-order Dynamics. As a result, we support fast motions of both the tool and the virtual object with sphere-mesh-level contacts and real-time simulation. Stability is guaranteed via a position-based dynamics simulator and an optional multi-rate architecture.
Evaluating Ultrasonic Tactile Feedback Stimuli
Authors: Sand Antti , Rakkolainen Ismo , Surakka Veikko , Raisamo Roope , Brewster Stephen
Published: September 2020

Ultrasonic tactile stimulation can give the user contactless tactile feedback in a variety of human-computer interfaces. Parameters, such as duration, rhythm, and intensity, can be used to encode information into tactile sensation. The present aim was to investigate the differentiation of six ultrasonic tactile stimulations that were varied by form (i.e., square and circle) and timing (i.e., movement speed and duration, and the number of repetitions). Following a stimulus familiarization task participants (N = 16) were to identify the stimuli presented in the same order as in the familiarization phase. Overall, the results showed that it was significantly easier to identify stimuli that were rendered at a slower pace (i.e., longer duration) regardless of the number of repetitions. Thus, for ultrasonic haptics, rendering time was one important factor for easy identification.
User-Defined Mid-Air Haptic Sensations for Interacting with an AR Menu Environment
Authors: Van den Bogaert Lawrence , Geerts David
Published: September 2020

Interfaces that allow users to interact with a computing system by using free-hand mid-air gestures are becoming increasingly prevalent. A typical shortcoming of such gesture-based interfaces, however, is their lack of a haptic component. One technology with the potential to address this issue, is ultrasound mid-air haptic feedback. At the moment, haptic sensations are typically designed by system engineers and experts. In the case of gestural interfaces, researchers started involving non-expert users to define suitable gestures for specific interactions. To our knowledge, no studies have involved – from a similar participatory design perspective – laymen to generate mid-air haptic sensations. We present the results of an end-user elicitation study yielding a user-defined set of mid-air haptic sensations to match gestures used for interacting with an Augmented Reality menu environment. In addition, we discuss the suitability of the end-user elicitation method to that end.
Energy Analysis of Lateral vs. Normal Vibration Modes for Ultrasonic Surface Haptic Devices
Authors: Torres Guzman Diana Angelica , Lemaire-Semail Betty , Giraud Frederic , Giraud-Audine Christophe , Amberg Michel
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we propose a new device in order to produce normal and lateral ultrasonic vibrations in a plate, using an array of piezoelectric ceramics. This setup serves to continue the comparative analysis between the two vibration modes for tactile feedback rendering, by including an energetic characterization. With the help of a tribological analysis, this study will help to examine the energy performance of each vibration mode in terms of active power consumption against friction contrast (which is linked to perception). Using a simplified second order plate model, the energetic results are analyzed. The results show a better energy efficiency for the lateral vibration for low exploration speeds. The tribological analysis helps as well to evaluate the effect of frequency increase in terms of friction reduction vs. vibration amplitude for both vibration modes.
Attention-Based Robot Learning of Haptic Interaction
Authors: Moringen Alexandra , Fleer Sascha , Walck Guillaume , Ritter Helge
Published: September 2020

Haptic interaction involved in almost any physical interaction with the environment performed by humans is a highly sophisticated and to a large extent a computationally unmodelled process. Unlike humans, who seamlessly handle a complex mixture of haptic features and profit from their integration over space and time, even the most advanced robots are strongly constrained in performing contact-rich interaction tasks. In this work we approach the described problem by demonstrating the success of our online haptic interaction learning approach on an example task: haptic identification of four unknown objects. Building upon our previous work performed with a floating haptic sensor array, here we show functionality of our approach within a fully-fledged robot simulation. To this end, we utilize the haptic attention model (HAM), a meta-controller neural network architecture trained with reinforcement learning. HAM is able to learn to optimally parameterize a sequence of so-called haptic glances, primitive actions of haptic control derived from elementary human haptic interaction. By coupling a simulated KUKA robot arm with the haptic attention model, we pursue to mimic the functionality of a finger.

Our modeling strategy allowed us to arrive at a tactile reinforcement learning architecture and characterize some of its advantages. Owing to a rudimentary experimental setting and an easy acquisition of simulated data, we believe our approach to be particularly useful for both time-efficient robot training and a flexible algorithm prototyping.
Shared Haptic Perception for Human-Robot Collaboration
Authors: Katayama Kazuki , Pozzi Maria , Tanaka Yoshihiro , Minamizawa Kouta , Prattichizzo Domenico
Published: September 2020

To obtain a fluent human-robot collaboration, reciprocal awareness is fundamental. In this paper, we propose to achieve it by creating a haptic connection between the human operator and the collaborative robot. Data coming from a wearable skin vibration sensor are used by the robot to recognize human actions, and vibrotactile signals are used to inform the human about the correct recognition of her/his actions. It is shown that the proposed communication paradigm, based onshared haptic perception, allows to improve cycle time performance in a complex human-robot collaborative task.
From Hate to Love: How Learning Can Change Affective Responses to Touched Materials
Authors: Cavdan Müge , Freund Alexander , Trieschmann Anna-Klara , Doerschner Katja , Drewing Knut
Published: September 2020

People display systematic affective reactions to specific properties of touched materials. For example, granular materials such as fine sand feel pleasant, while rough materials feel unpleasant. We wondered how far such relationships between sensory material properties and affective responses can be changed by learning. Manipulations in the present experiment aimed at unlearning the previously observed negative relationship between roughness and valence and the positive one between granularity and valence. In the learning phase, participants haptically explored materials that are either very rough or very fine-grained while they simultaneously watched positive or negative stimuli, respectively, from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). A control group did not interact with granular or rough materials during the learning phase. In the experimental phase, participants rated a representative diverse set of 28 materials according to twelve affective adjectives. We found a significantly weaker relationship between granularity and valence in the experimental group compared to the control group, whereas roughness-valence correlations did not differ between groups. That is, the valence of granular materials was unlearned (i.e., to modify the existing valence of granular materials) but not that of rough materials. These points to differences in the strength of perceptuo-affective relations, which we discuss in terms of hard-wired versus learned connections.
Switching Between Objects Improves Precision in Haptic Perception of Softness
Authors: Metzger Anna , Drewing Knut
Published: September 2020

Haptic perception involves active exploration usually consisting of repeated stereotypical movements. The choice of such exploratory movements and their parameters are tuned to achieve high perceptual precision. Information obtained from repeated exploratory movements (e.g. repeated indentations of an object to perceive its softness) is integrated but improvement of discrimination performance is limited by memory if the two objects are explored one after the other in order to compare them. In natural haptic exploration humans tend to switch between the objects multiple times when comparing them. Using the example of softness perception here we test the hypothesis that given the same amount of information, discrimination improves if memory demands are lower. In our experiment participants explored two softness stimuli by indenting each of the stimuli four times. They were allowed to switch between the stimuli after every single indentation (7 switches), after every second indentation (3 switches) or only once after four indentations (1 switch). We found better discrimination performance with seven switches as compared to one switch, indicating that humans naturally apply an exploratory strategy which might reduce memory demands and thus leads to improved performance.
Junctions of mass-deformed nonlinear sigma models on SO(2N)/U(N) and Sp(N)/U(N). Part II
Authors: Kim Taegyu , Shin Sunyoung
Published: September 2020

Abstract

We construct three-pronged junctions of mass-deformed nonlinear sigma models on SO(2N)/U(N) and Sp(N )/U(N ) for generic N. We study the nonlinear sigma models on the Grassmann manifold or on the complex projective space. We discuss the relation between the nonlinear sigma model constructed in the harmonic superspace for- malism and the nonlinear sigma model constructed in the projective superspace formalism by comparing each model with the $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 nonlinear sigma model constructed in the $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 superspace formalism.
Lattices do not distribute over powerset
Authors: Salamanca Téllez Julián
Published: September 2020

We show that there is no distributive law of the free lattice monad over the powerset monad. The proof presented here also works for other classes of lattices such as (bounded) distributive/modular lattices and also for some variants of the powerset monad such as the (nonempty) finite powerset monad.
Impacts of reduced Lepidurus arcticus availability on brown trout life history traits in a mountain reservoir
Authors: Lakka Hanna-Kaisa , Eloranta Antti P. , Hesthagen Trygve , Saksgård Randi , Power Michael
Published: September 2020

Lepidurus arcticus(the Arctic tadpole shrimp) is a vulnerable keystone species in Arctic and alpine water bodies where its occurrence and population size may influence the viability and life history traits of resident salmonids. Using data from a Norwegian mountain hydropower reservoir, Aursjoen, we illustrate how reduced availability ofL. arcticusas prey resulted in the reduced condition, growth and delayed maturation of resident brown trout (Salmo trutta). We further link changes in the relative abundance ofL. arcticusas prey to changing reservoir conditions, e.g. water level changes in the spring period, thereby establishing an indirect link between reservoir operation regimes and brown trout population traits. While no evidence for decreased brown trout survival was found, the results indicate that alternative brown trout prey resources, i.e. the small chydorid cladoceranEurycercus lamellatus, do not appear to have successfully offset the caloric loss from reduced consumption of large-sizedL. arcticus. Although the fundamental explanation for the observedL. arcticuscollapse remains largely unknown, the present findings provide strong evidence that this vulnerable crustacean species can affect the abundance, viability and life history traits of valued resident salmonid populations in oligotrophic alpine lakes and reservoirs exposed to climate- and hydropower-driven changes in water levels and temperature.
Mutagenicity of acrylamide and glycidamide in human TP53 knock-in (Hupki) mouse embryo fibroblasts
Authors: Hölzl-Armstrong Lisa , Kucab Jill E. , Moody Sarah , Zwart Edwin P. , Loutkotová Lucie , Duffy Veronica , Luijten Mirjam , Gamboa da Costa Gonçalo , Stratton Michael R. , Phillips David H. , Arlt Volker M.
Published: September 2020

Acrylamide is a suspected human carcinogen formed during high-temperature cooking of starch-rich foods. It is metabolised by cytochrome P450 2E1 to its reactive metabolite glycidamide, which forms pre-mutagenic DNA adducts. Using the human TP53 knock-in (Hupki) mouse embryo fibroblasts (HUFs) immortalisation assay (HIMA), acrylamide- and glycidamide-induced mutagenesis was studied in the tumour suppressor gene TP53. Selected immortalised HUF clones were also subjected to next-generation sequencing to determine mutations across the whole genome. The TP53-mutant frequency after glycidamide exposure (1.1 mM for 24 h, n = 198) was 9% compared with 0% in cultures treated with acrylamide [1.5 (n = 24) or 3 mM (n = 6) for 48 h] and untreated vehicle (water) controls (n = 36). Most glycidamide-induced mutations occurred at adenines with A > T/T > A and A > G/T > C mutations being the most common types. Mutations induced by glycidamide occurred at specific TP53 codons that have also been found to be mutated in human tumours (i.e., breast, ovary, colorectal, and lung) previously associated with acrylamide exposure. The spectrum of TP53 mutations was further reflected by the mutations detected by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and a distinct WGS mutational signature was found in HUF clones treated with glycidamide that was again characterised by A > G/T > C and A > T/T > A mutations. The WGS mutational signature showed similarities with COSMIC mutational signatures SBS3 and 25 previously found in human tumours (e.g., breast and ovary), while the adenine component was similar to COSMIC SBS4 found mostly in smokers’ lung cancer. In contrast, in acrylamide-treated HUF clones, only culture-related background WGS mutational signatures were observed. In summary, the results of the present study suggest that glycidamide may be involved in the development of breast, ovarian, and lung cancer.
Grey zone amyloid burden affects memory function: the SCIENCe project
Authors: Ebenau J. L. , Verfaillie S. C. J. , van den Bosch K. A. , Timmers T. , Wesselman L. M. P. , van Leeuwenstijn M. , Tuncel H. , Golla S. V. S. , Yaqub M. M. , Windhorst A. D. , Prins N. D. , Barkhof F. , Scheltens P. , van der Flier W. M. , van Berckel B. N. M.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

To determine thresholds for amyloid beta pathology and evaluate associations with longitudinal memory performance with the aim to identify a grey zone of early amyloid beta accumulation and investigate its clinical relevance.

Methods

We included 162 cognitively normal participants with subjective cognitive decline from the SCIENCe cohort (64 ± 8 years, 38% F, MMSE 29 ± 1). Each underwent a dynamic [18F] florbetapir PET scan, a T1-weighted MRI scan and longitudinal memory assessments (RAVLT delayed recall, n = 655 examinations). PET scans were visually assessed as amyloid positive/negative. Additionally, we calculated the mean binding potential (BPND) and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr50–70) for an a priori defined composite region of interest. We determined six amyloid positivity thresholds using various data-driven methods (resulting thresholds: BPND 0.19/0.23/0.29; SUVr 1.28/1.34/1.43). We used Cohen’s kappa to analyse concordance between thresholds and visual assessment. Next, we used quantiles to divide the sample into two to five subgroups of equal numbers (median, tertiles, quartiles, quintiles), and operationalized a grey zone as the range between the thresholds (0.19–0.29 BPND/1.28–1.43 SUVr). We used linear mixed models to determine associations between thresholds and memory slope.

Results

As determined by visual assessment, 24% of 162 individuals were amyloid positive. Concordance with visual assessment was comparable but slightly higher for BPND thresholds (range kappa 0.65–0.70 versus 0.60–0.63). All thresholds predicted memory decline (range beta − 0.29 to − 0.21, all p < 0.05). Analyses in subgroups showed memory slopes gradually became steeper with higher amyloid load (all p for trend < 0.05). Participants with a low amyloid burden benefited from a practice effect (i.e. increase in memory), whilst high amyloid burden was associated with memory decline. Memory slopes of individuals in the grey zone were intermediate.

Conclusion

We provide evidence that not only high but also grey zone amyloid burden subtly impacts memory function. Therefore, in case a binary classification is required, we suggest using a relatively low threshold which includes grey zone amyloid pathology.
Locality of Interatomic Interactions in Self-Consistent Tight Binding Models
Authors: Thomas Jack
Published: September 2020

A key starting assumption in many classical interatomic potential models for materials is a site energy decomposition of the potential energy surface into contributions that only depend on a small neighbourhood. Under a natural stability condition, we construct such a spatial decomposition for self-consistent tight binding models, extending recent results for linear tight binding models to the nonlinear setting.
Intravenous paracetamol in comparison with ibuprofen for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Dani Carlo , Lista Gianluca , Bianchi Silvia , Mosca Fabio , Schena Federico , Ramenghi Luca , Zecca Enrico , Vento Giovanni , Poggi Chiara , Leonardi Valentina , Minghetti Diego , Rosignoli Maria Teresa , Calisti Fabrizio , Comandini Alessandro , Cattaneo Agnese , Lipone Paola
Published: September 2020

Our aim was to assess the efficacy and safety of intravenous (i.v.) paracetamol vs. i.v. ibuprofen for the treatment of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) in preterm infants. This is a multicenter randomized controlled study. Infants with a gestational age of 25+0–31+6 weeks were randomized to receive i.v. paracetamol (15 mg/kg/6 h for 3 days) or i.v. ibuprofen (10-5-5 mg/kg/day). The primary outcome was the closure rate of hsPDA after the first treatment course with paracetamol or ibuprofen. Secondary outcomes included the constriction rate of hsPDA, the re-opening rate, and the need for surgical closure. Fifty-two and 49 infants received paracetamol or ibuprofen, respectively. Paracetamol was less effective in closing hsPDA than ibuprofen (52 vs. 78%; P = 0.026), but the constriction rate of the ductus was similar (81 vs. 90%; P = 0.202), as confirmed by logistic regression analysis. The re-opening rate, the need for surgical closure, and the occurrence of adverse effects were also similar.

Conclusions: Intravenous paracetamol was less effective in closing hsPDA than ibuprofen, but due to a similar constriction effect, its use was associated with the same hsPDA outcome. These results can support the use of i.v. paracetamol as a first-choice drug for the treatment of hsPDA.

Trial registration:Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02422966, Date of registration: 04/09/2015; EudraCT no: 2013-003883-30.

What is Known:• The successful closure of patent ductus arteriosus with oral paracetamol has been recently reported in several preterm infants, but only one randomized controlled study investigated the efficacy of intravenous paracetamol.

What is New:• Intravenous paracetamol is less effective in closing hsPDA than ibuprofen, but have a similar constriction effect.• These results can support the use of i.v. paracetamol as a first-choice drug for the treatment of hsPDA.
Results of a randomized trial of treatment modalities in patients with low or early-intermediate risk prostate cancer (PREFERE trial)
Authors: Wiegel Thomas , Albers Peter , Bartkowiak Detlef , Bussar-Maatz Roswitha , Härter Martin , Kristiansen Glen , Martus Peter , Wellek Stefan , Schmidberger Heinz , Grozinger Klaus , Renner Peter , Schneider Fried , Burmester Martin , Stöckle Michael
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The optimal treatment for patients with low to early-intermediate risk prostate cancer (PCa) remains to be defined. The randomized PREFERE trial (DRKS00004405) aimed to assess noninferiority of active surveillance (AS), external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT), or brachytherapy by permanent seed implantation (PSI) vs. radical prostatectomy (RP) for these patients.

Methods

PREFERE was planned to enroll 7600 patients. The primary endpoint was disease specific survival. Patients with PCa stage ≤ cT2a, cN0/X, M0, PSA ≤ 10 ng/ml and Gleason-Score ≤ 3 + 4 at reference pathology were eligible. Patients were allowed to exclude one or two of the four modalities, which yielded eleven combinations for randomization. Sixty-nine German study centers were engaged in PREFERE.

Results

Of 2251 patients prescreened between 2012 and 2016, 459 agreed to participate in PREFERE. Due to this poor accrual, the trial was stopped. In 345 patients reference pathology confirmed inclusion criteria. Sixty-nine men were assigned to RP, 53 to EBRT, 93 to PSI, and 130 to AS. Forty patients changed treatment shortly after randomization, 21 to AS. Forty-eight AS patients with follow-up received radical treatment. Median follow-up was 19 months. Five patients died, none due to PCa; 8 had biochemical progression after radical therapy. Treatment-related acute grade 3 toxicity was reported in 3 RP patients and 2 PSI patients.

Conclusions

In this prematurely closed trial, we observed an unexpected high rate of termination of AS and an increased toxicity related to PSI. Patients hesitated to be randomized in a multi-arm trial. The optimal treatment of low and early-intermediate risk PCa remains unclear.
Influence of Acid Swallows on the Dynamics of the Upper Esophageal Sphincter
Authors: Miller Simone , Ptok Martin , Jungheim Michael
Published: September 2020

Mechanisms of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) when exposed to acid are still incompletely understood. The presented work investigated the reaction of the UES to acid exposure during swallowing. Ten healthy individuals swallowed ten 2 ml neutral water boli of pH 7, followed by 10 swallows each of different levels of acidity (pH 1.8, pH 3 and pH 5). Effects were analyzed by high-resolution manometry (HRM) for the primary parameter Restitution Time, as well as Resting Pressures, maximal, minimal pressures and time intervals. Restitution Times measured mean values of 12.67 s (SD ± 7.03 s) for pH 1.8, pH 7 = 8.69 s (SD ± 2.72 s), pH 3 = 7.56 s (SD ± 2.23 s) and pH 5 = 7.29 s (SD ± 2.55 s), showing prolonged Restitution Times in the UES when exposed to strong bolus acidity. This difference was significant towards the neutral bolus, but also to less acidic boli (pH 5: p = 0.006, pH 3: p = 0.009, pH 7: p = 0.038). Considerable differences of mean values were found for Post-Swallow Maximum and Period of Sphincter Activity. Also, Pre-Swallow Maximum values were found to be highest with the strongest acid. Relaxation Times showed a slight trend of prolongation for the highest bolus acidity. Prolonged Restitution Times may represent a reflexive protective mechanism triggered by receptors in the pharyngeal mucosa or the UES preventing regurgitation of acid into the pharynx and larynx, besides representing ongoing attempts of acid clearance. Exposure to high levels of acidity by a swallowed bolus does influence UES functions during swallowing.
Macrophage polarization in peri-implantitis lesions
Authors: Galarraga-Vinueza Maria Elisa , Obreja Karina , Ramanauskaite Ausra , Magini Ricardo , Begic Amira , Sader Robert , Schwarz Frank
Published: September 2020

Objectives

To immunohistochemically characterize and correlate macrophage M1/M2 polarization status with disease severity at peri-implantitis sites.

Materials and methods

A total of twenty patients (n = 20 implants) diagnosed with peri-implantitis (i.e., bleeding on probing with or without suppuration, probing depths ≥ 6 mm, and radiographic marginal bone loss ≥ 3 mm) were included. The severity of peri-implantitis was classified according to established criteria (i.e., slight, moderate, and advanced). Granulation tissue biopsies were obtained during surgical therapy and prepared for immunohistological assessment and macrophage polarization characterization. Macrophages, M1, and M2 phenotypes were identified through immunohistochemical markers (i.e., CD68, CD80, and CD206) and quantified through histomorphometrical analyses.

Results

Macrophages exhibiting a positive CD68 expression occupied a mean proportion of 14.36% (95% CI 11.4–17.2) of the inflammatory connective tissue (ICT) area. Positive M1 (CD80) and M2 (CD206) macrophages occupied a mean value of 7.07% (95% CI 5.9–9.4) and 5.22% (95% CI 3.8–6.6) of the ICT, respectively. The mean M1/M2 ratio was 1.56 (95% CI 1–12–1.9). Advanced peri-implantitis cases expressed a significantly higher M1 (%) when compared with M2 (%) expression. There was a significant correlation between CD68 (%) and M1 (%) expression and probing depth (PD) values.

Conclusion

The present immunohistochemical analysis suggests that macrophages constitute a considerable proportion of the inflammatory cellular composition at peri-implantitis sites, revealing a significant higher expression for M1 inflammatory phenotype at advanced peri-implantitis sites, which could possibly play a critical role in disease progression.

Clinical relevance

Macrophages have critical functions to establish homeostasis and disease. Bacteria might induce oral dysbiosis unbalancing the host’s immunological response and triggering inflammation around dental implants. M1/M2 status could possibly reveal peri-implantitis’ underlying pathogenesis.