bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simplified time‐dependent crack width prediction for fiber reinforced concrete flexural members
Authors: Watts Murray J. , Amin Ali , Gilbert Raymond I. , Kaufmann Walter , Minelli Fausto
Published: March 2021

One of the main areas where it is generally accepted that fibers play a significant contribution in construction practice is in the control of cracking. The primary objective of the fibers is to traverse cracks after they nucleate. The fibers provide some post‐cracking resistance to the otherwise brittle concrete. Much of the research contained in the literature on the cracking behavior of fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) members has focused on instantaneous load scenarios, without much consideration for the long‐term behavior (i.e., for members which are subjected to a sustained service moment). This is mirrored in design standards where limited guidance is provided to engineers to predict and assess the long‐term serviceability performance of FRC members. This paper presents a simplified model, which may be suitable for design, that can reliably predict the cracking behavior, over time, of FRC members subjected to a sustained in‐service flexural load. Predictions of the proposed model are compared to both instantaneous and long‐term data available in the literature. Satisfactory correlation is observed.
Uncommon Four‐Membered Building Blocks – Cyclobutenes, Azetines and Thietes
Authors: Didier Dorian , Reiners Felix
Published: March 2021

Strained ring systems have gained considerable importance over the last few years for their implication in natural product syntheses or in drug discovery programs. We present herein a recollection of our work on the construction and functionalization of unsaturated four‐membered carbo‐ and heterocycles in the context of the literature, as well as their applications in further reactions.
Recent Advances in Multicomponent Reactions with Organic and Inorganic Sulfur Compounds
Authors: Tang Qinqin , Yin Xianjie , Kuchukulla Ratnakar Reddy , Zeng Qingle
Published: March 2021

In recent years, multicomponent reactions with inorganic and organic sulfur compounds as one of reactants have achieved a remarkable development. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the multicomponent reactions involving sulfur components, which include elemental sulfur, sodium metabisulfite, sodium hyposulfite, potassium pyrosulfite, DABSO, sodium sulfide, thiocyanate, sulfur dioxide, carbon disulfide and other divalent, tetravalent and hexavalent organosulfur compounds.
Electrochemically Driven Radical Reactions: From Direct Electrolysis to Molecular Catalysis
Authors: Chen Na , Xu Hai‐Chao
Published: March 2021

Organic radicals are versatile synthetic intermediates that provide reactivities and selectivities complementary to ionic species. Despite its long history, electrochemically driven radical reactions remain limited in scope. In the past few years, there have been dramatic increase in research activity in organic electrochemistry. We have been developing electrochemical and electrophotocatalytic methods for the generation and synthetic utilization of organic radicals. In our studies, various radical species such as alkene and arene radical cations and carbon‐ and heteroatom‐centered radicals are generated from readily available precursors through direct electrolysis, molecular electrocatalysis or molecular electrophotocatalysis. These radical species undergo various inter‐ and intramolecular oxidative transformations to rapidly increase molecular complexity. The simultaneous occurrence of anodic oxidation and cathodic proton reduction allows the oxidative reactions to proceed through H2 evolution without external chemical oxidants.
Consequences of recurrent hypoglycaemia on brain function in diabetes
Authors: McCrimmon Rory J.
Published: March 2021

The discovery of insulin and its subsequent mass manufacture transformed the lives of people with type 1 and 2 diabetes. Insulin, however, was a drug with a ‘dark side’. It brought with it the risk of iatrogenic hypoglycaemia. In this short review, the cellular consequences of recurrent hypoglycaemia, with a particular focus on the brain, are discussed. Using the ventromedial hypothalamus as an exemplar, this review highlights how recurrent hypoglycaemia has an impact on the specialised cells in the brain that are critical to the regulation of glucose homeostasis and the counterregulatory response to hypoglycaemia. In these cells, recurrent hypoglycaemia initiates a series of adaptations that ensure that they are more resilient to subsequent hypoglycaemia, but this leads to impaired hypoglycaemia awareness and a paradoxical increased risk of severe hypoglycaemia. This review also highlights how hypoglycaemia, as an oxidative stressor, may also exacerbate chronic hyperglycaemia-induced increases in oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to damage to vulnerable brain regions (and other end organs) and accelerating cognitive decline. Pre-clinical research indicates that glucose recovery following hypoglycaemia is considered a period where reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative stress are pronounced and can exacerbate the longer-term consequence of chronic hypoglycaemia. It is proposed that prior glycaemic control, hypoglycaemia and the degree of rebound hyperglycaemia interact synergistically to accelerate oxidative stress and inflammation, which may explain why increased glycaemic variability is now increasingly considered a risk factor for the complications of diabetes.

Graphical abstract
Disuse Osteoporosis: Clinical and Mechanistic Insights
Authors: Rolvien Tim , Amling Michael
Published: March 2021

Disuse osteoporosis describes a state of bone loss due to local skeletal unloading or systemic immobilization. This review will discuss advances in the field that have shed light on clinical observations, mechanistic insights and options for the treatment of disuse osteoporosis. Clinical settings of disuse osteoporosis include spinal cord injury, other neurological and neuromuscular disorders, immobilization after fractures and bed rest (real or modeled). Furthermore, spaceflight-induced bone loss represents a well-known adaptive process to microgravity. Clinical studies have outlined that immobilization leads to immediate bone loss in both the trabecular and cortical compartments accompanied by relatively increased bone resorption and decreased bone formation. The fact that the low bone formation state has been linked to high levels of the osteocyte-secreted protein sclerostin is one of the many findings that has brought matrix-embedded, mechanosensitive osteocytes into focus in the search for mechanistic principles. Previous basic research has primarily involved rodent models based on tail suspension, spaceflight and other immobilization methods, which have underlined the importance of osteocytes in the pathogenesis of disuse osteoporosis. Furthermore, molecular-based in vitro and in vivo approaches have revealed that osteocytes sense mechanical loading through mechanosensors that translate extracellular mechanical signals to intracellular biochemical signals and regulate gene expression. Osteocytic mechanosensors include the osteocyte cytoskeleton and dendritic processes within the lacuno-canalicular system (LCS), ion channels (e.g., Piezo1), extracellular matrix, primary cilia, focal adhesions (integrin-based) and hemichannels and gap junctions (connexin-based). Overall, disuse represents one of the major factors contributing to immediate bone loss and osteoporosis, and alterations in osteocytic pathways appear crucial to the bone loss associated with unloading.
Gewalt in intimen Partnerschaften und psychische Probleme bei Kindern und Jugendlichen
Authors: Clemens Vera , Köhler-Dauner Franziska , Keller Ferdinand , Ziegenhain Ute , Fegert Jörg M. , Kölch Michael
Published: March 2021

Hintergrund

Die durch die „coronavirus disease 2019“ (COVID-19) ausgelöste Pandemie hat das Leben von Familien in beispielloser Weise verändert. Während des ersten Lockdowns wurden außerfamiliäre Kontakte erheblich reduziert. Viele Eltern mussten parallel ihre Kinder betreuen und von zu Hause aus arbeiten, während der ökonomische Druck zunahm.

Ziel der Arbeit (Fragestellung)

Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es, den Zusammenhang von Gewalt in intimen Partnerschaften und psychischen Problemen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen vor und während der COVID-19-Pandemie zu untersuchen.

Material und Methoden

Mithilfe einer Online-Querschnittsumfrage wurden die Daten von 687 Eltern minderjähriger Kinder in Deutschland erhoben. Demografische und psychosoziale Prädiktoren für Gewalt in intimen Partnerschaften und Assoziationen mit psychischen Gesundheitsproblemen von Kindern vor, während und nach dem ersten Lockdown aufgrund der COVID-19-Pandemie wurden analysiert. Die Umfrage fand vom 18.05.2020 bis zum 21.07.2020 statt. Der Lockdown in Deutschland begann am 23.03.2020 und endete über schrittweise Lockerungen – die ersten Schulen öffneten am 22.04.2020 wieder; die Öffnungen von Schulen, Kindergärten und Kitas zog sich bis Ende Juni 2020.

Ergebnisse

Ein geringeres Haushaltseinkommen und das Erleben von eigenen belastenden Kindheitserfahrungen erhöhen das Risiko, dass Studienteilnehmende Gewalt in ihrer Beziehung erfahren haben und darüber berichten. Kinder und Jugendliche, die in Familien leben, in denen Gewalt in intimen Partnerschaften vorkommt, wiesen nach Angaben der teilnehmenden Eltern vor und während der Pandemie häufiger höhere Werte für externalisierende Probleme auf, hinsichtlich emotionaler Probleme zeigten sich keine signifikanten Unterschiede.

Diskussion

Belastende Kindheitserlebnisse erhöhen das Risiko für Gewalt in intimen Partnerschaften – und diese wiederum das Risiko für psychische Probleme der eigenen Kinder. Insofern sollte auch in der psychotherapeutischen Praxis systematisch nach entsprechenden Erfahrungen gefragt und entsprechende Behandlungsangebote sollte empfohlen werden.
The Beighton Score as a measure of generalised joint hypermobility
Authors: Malek Sabeeha , Reinhold Emma J. , Pearce Gemma S.
Published: March 2021

The Beighton Score (BS) is a set of manoeuvres in a nine-point scoring system, used as the standard method of assessment for Generalised Joint Hypermobility (GJH). It was originally developed as an epidemiological tool used in screening large populations for GJH, but later adopted as a clinical tool for diagnostic purposes. Its ability to truly reflect GJH remains controversial, as joints within the scoring system are predominantly of the upper limb and disregard many of the major joints, preventing a direct identification of GJH. Furthermore, a consistent finding in the literature whereby the BS failed to identify hypermobility in joints outside the scoring system suggests its use as an indirect indicator of GJH is also not viable. As such, the collective findings of this review demonstrate a need for a change in clinical thinking. The BS should not be used as the principle tool to differentiate between localised and generalised hypermobility, nor used alone to exclude the presence of GJH. Greater emphasis should be placed on a clinician’s judgement to identify or exclude GJH, according to its full definition.
Strong Subgraph Connectivity of Digraphs
Authors: Sun Yuefang , Gutin Gregory
Published: March 2021

Let $$D=(V,A)$$

D
=
(
V
,
A
)

be a digraph of order n, S a subset of V of size k and $$2\le k\le n$$

2
≤
k
≤
n

. A strong subgraph H of D is called an S-strong subgraph if $$S\subseteq V(H)$$

S
⊆
V
(
H
)

. A pair of S-strong subgraphs $$D_1$$

D
1

and $$D_2$$

D
2

are said to be arc-disjoint if $$A(D_1)\cap A(D_2)=\emptyset$$

A

(

D
1

)

∩
A

(

D
2

)

=
∅

. A pair of arc-disjoint S-strong subgraphs $$D_1$$

D
1

and $$D_2$$

D
2

are said to be internally disjoint if $$V(D_1)\cap V(D_2)=S$$

V

(

D
1

)

∩
V

(

D
2

)

=
S

. Let $$\kappa _S(D)$$

κ
S

(
D
)

(resp. $$\lambda _S(D)$$

λ
S

(
D
)

) be the maximum number of internally disjoint (resp. arc-disjoint) S-strong subgraphs in D. The strong subgraphk-connectivity is defined as $$\begin{aligned} \kappa _k(D)=\min \{\kappa _S(D)\mid S\subseteq V, |S|=k\}. \end{aligned}$$

κ
k

(
D
)

=
min
{

κ
S

(
D
)

∣
S
⊆
V
,
|
S
|
=
k
}
.

As a natural counterpart of the strong subgraph k-connectivity, we introduce the concept of strong subgraphk-arc-connectivity which is defined as $$\begin{aligned} \lambda _k(D)=\min \{\lambda _S(D)\mid S\subseteq V(D), |S|=k\}. \end{aligned}$$

λ
k

(
D
)

=
min
{

λ
S

(
D
)

∣
S
⊆
V

(
D
)

,
|
S
|
=
k
}
.

A digraph $$D=(V, A)$$

D
=
(
V
,
A
)

is called minimally strong subgraph$$(k,\ell )$$

(
k
,
ℓ
)

-(arc-)connected if $$\kappa _k(D)\ge \ell$$

κ
k

(
D
)

≥
ℓ

(resp. $$\lambda _k(D)\ge \ell$$

λ
k

(
D
)

≥
ℓ

) but for any arc $$e\in A$$

e
∈
A

, $$\kappa _k(D-e)\le \ell -1$$

κ
k

(
D
-
e
)

≤
ℓ
-
1

(resp. $$\lambda _k(D-e)\le \ell -1$$

λ
k

(
D
-
e
)

≤
ℓ
-
1

). In this paper, we first give complexity results for $$\lambda _k(D)$$

λ
k

(
D
)

, then obtain some sharp bounds for the parameters $$\kappa _k(D)$$

κ
k

(
D
)

and $$\lambda _k(D)$$

λ
k

(
D
)

. Finally, minimally strong subgraph $$(k,\ell )$$

(
k
,
ℓ
)

-connected digraphs and minimally strong subgraph $$(k,\ell )$$

(
k
,
ℓ
)

-arc-connected digraphs are studied.
Drivers of the decadal variability of the North Ionian Gyre upper layer circulation during 1910–2010: a regional modelling study
Authors: Liu Feifei , Mikolajewicz Uwe , Six Katharina D.
Published: March 2021

A long simulation over the period 1901–2010 with an eddy-permitting ocean circulation model is used to study the variability of the upper layer circulation in the North Ionian Gyre (NIG) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMed). The model is driven by the atmospheric forcing from the twentieth century reanalysis data set ERA-20C, ensuring a consistent performance of the model over the entire simulation period. The main modes of variability known in the EMed, in particular the decadal reversals of the NIG upper layer circulation observed since the late 1980s are well reproduced. We find that the simulated NIG upper layer circulation prior to the observational period is characterized by long-lasting cyclonic phases with weak variability during years 1910–1940 and 1960–1985, while in the in-between period (1940–1960) quasi-decadal NIG circulation reversals occur with similar characteristics to those observed in the recent decades. Our simulation indicates that the NIG upper layer circulation is rather prone to the cyclonic mode with occasional kicks to the anticyclonic mode. The coherent variability of the NIG upper layer circulation mode and of the Adriatic Deep Water (AdDW) outflow implies that atmospheric forcing triggering strong AdDW formation is required to kick the NIG into an anticyclonic circulation 1–2 years later. A sensitivity experiment mimicking a cold winter event over the Adriatic Sea supports this hypothesis. Our simulation shows that it is the multi-decadal variability of the salinity in the Adriatic Sea that leads to periods where low salinity prevents strong AdDW formation events. This explains the absence of quasi-decadal NIG reversals during 1910–1940 and 1960–1985.
Real-life study of the use of anti-VEGF therapy versus dexamethasone implant for treatment of macular edema in retinal vein occlusion
Authors: de Salles Manuel Casselholm , Epstein David
Published: March 2021

Purpose

To investigate the long-time outcome of patients with branch vein occlusion (BRVO) and central vein occlusion (CRVO) treated with anti-VEGF injections compared to the dexamethasone (DEX) implant.

Methods

This retrospective real-life study included all 492 patients presenting with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) during 2012–2013 at St. Erik Eye Hospital. Maximum follow-up was 5 years.

Results

The mean time of follow-up for patients treated for macular edema was 33.2±17.7 and 34.3±18.1 months in the BRVO and CRVO groups, respectively. At the end of follow-up, the best-corrected visual acuity improved +9.8±20.4 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters in BRVO patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy while patients treated with the DEX implant lost −2.1±23.4 letters (p<0.05). CRVO patients treated with anti-VEGF therapy improved +0.2±27.6 letters while patients receiving a DEX implant lost −9.7±32.6 letters (p=0.11). Overall, in RVO patients treated with anti-VEGF injections, the central retinal thickness decreased to 322±174μm compared to 398±174 μm in patients treated with the DEX implant (p<0.05).

Conclusions

In a clinical setting, a substantial part of patients is still in follow-up a long time after presentation. The visual and anatomical outcomes were better in patients treated with anti-VEGF agents compared to subjects receiving a DEX implant.
Influence of preanalytical variables on performance of delta-like protein 3 (DLL3) predictive immunohistochemistry
Authors: Radonic Teodora , Duin S. , Vos W. , Kortman P. , Zwinderman Aeilko H. , Thunnissen Erik
Published: March 2021

DLL3 might become a predictive immunohistochemical marker in small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCLC). We investigated the influence of pre-analytical handling of samples on the performance of DLL3 immunohistochemistry (IHC) using DLL3 SP347 ready to use assay (Ventana). DLL3 positive cell lines were subjected to different experimental conditions mimicking the pre-analytical variation in daily clinical practice. Formalin fixation of 24 h led to the most optimal results of DLL3 IHC. Longstanding fixation in Cytolyt, methanol-based fixative for cytology samples, but also decalcification using a mix of formic- and hydrochloracid resulted in decreased DLL3 staining. Postponed staining of blanc slides for 3 months also decreased DLL3 IHC. Postponed fixation of the SCLC cell lines did not influence the performance of DLL3 IHC, although this might be different in the tissues than in the cell lines. In conclusion, different pre-analytical variables decrease the performance of DLL3 IHC. These findings are essential for implementing novel predictive immunohistochemical biomarkers in daily pathology practice.
No impact of weather conditions on the outcome of intensive care unit patients
Authors: Bruno Raphael Romano , Wernly Bernhard , Masyuk Maryna , Muessig Johanna M. , Schiffner Rene , Bäz Laura , Schulze Christian , Franz Marcus , Kelm Malte , Jung Christian
Published: March 2021

Global warming leads to increased exposure of humankind to meteorological variation, including short-term weather changes. Weather conditions involve changes in temperature, heat and cold, in air pressure and in air humidity. Every single condition influences the incidence and mortality of different diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke. This study investigated the impact of weather conditions on short- and long-term mortality of 4321 critically ill patients (66 ± 14 years, 2638 men) admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) over a period of 5 years. Meteorological information (air temperature, air pressure and humidity) for the same period was retrieved. The influence of absolute weather parameters, different seasons, sudden weather changes including “warm” and “cold” spells on ICU and long-term mortality was analyzed. After correction for Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS-2), no impact of meteorological conditions on mortality was found. Different seasons, sudden weather changes, “warm spells” or “cold spells” did not affect the outcome of critically ill patients.
Approximation of continuous random variables for the evaluation of the reliability parameter of complex stress–strength models
Authors: Barbiero Alessandro , Hitaj Asmerilda
Published: March 2021

In many management science or economic applications, it is common to represent the key uncertain inputs as continuous random variables. However, when analytic techniques fail to provide a closed-form solution to a problem or when one needs to reduce the computational load, it is often necessary to resort to some problem-specific approximation technique or approximate each given continuous probability distribution by a discrete distribution. Many discretization methods have been proposed so far; in this work, we revise the most popular techniques, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, and empirically investigate their performance through a comparative study applied to a well-known engineering problem, formulated as a stress–strength model, with the aim of weighting up their feasibility and accuracy in recovering the value of the reliability parameter, also with reference to the number of discrete points. The results overall reward a recently introduced method as the best performer, which derives the discrete approximation as the numerical solution of a constrained non-linear optimization, preserving the first two moments of the original distribution. This method provides more accurate results than an ad-hoc first-order approximation technique. However, it is the most computationally demanding as well and the computation time can get even larger than that required by Monte Carlo approximation if the number of discrete points exceeds a certain threshold.
Biological control of strawberry crown rot, root rot and grey mould by the beneficial fungus Aureobasidium pullulans
Authors: Iqbal Mudassir , Jamshaid Maha , Zahid Muhammad Awais , Andreasson Erik , Vetukuri Ramesh R. , Stenberg Johan A.
Published: March 2021

Utilization of biocontrol agents is a sustainable approach to reduce plant diseases caused by fungal pathogens. In the present study, we tested the effect of the candidate biocontrol fungus Aureobasidium pullulans (De Bary) G. Armaud on strawberry under in vitro and in vivo conditions to control crown rot, root rot and grey mould caused by Phytophthora cactorum (Lebert and Cohn) and Botrytis cinerea Pers, respectively. A dual plate confrontation assay showed that mycelial growth of P. cactorum and B. cinerea was reduced by 33–48% when challenged by A. pullulans as compared with control treatments. Likewise, detached leaf and fruit assays showed that A. pullulans significantly reduced necrotic lesion size on leaves and disease severity on fruits caused by P. cactorum and B. cinerea. In addition, greenhouse experiments with whole plants revealed enhanced biocontrol efficacy against root rot and grey mould when treated with A. pullulans either in combination with the pathogen or pre-treated with A. pullulans followed by inoculation of the pathogens. Our results demonstrate that A. pullulans is an effective biocontrol agent to control strawberry diseases caused by fungal pathogens and can be an effective alternative to chemical-based fungicides.
Developmental Changes in the Association Between Cognitive Control and Anxiety
Authors: Filippi Courtney A. , Subar Anni , Ravi Sanjana , Haas Sara , Troller-Renfree Sonya V. , Fox Nathan A. , Leibenluft Ellen , Pine Daniel S.
Published: March 2021

Anxiety has been associated with reliance on reactive (stimulus-driven/reflexive) control strategies in response to conflict. However, this conclusion rests primarily on indirect evidence. Few studies utilize tasks that dissociate the use of reactive (‘just in time’) vs. proactive (anticipatory/preparatory) cognitive control strategies in response to conflict, and none examine children diagnosed with anxiety. The current study utilizes the AX-CPT, which dissociates these two types of cognitive control, to examine cognitive control in youth (ages 8–18) with and without an anxiety diagnosis (n = 56). Results illustrate that planful behavior, consistent with using a proactive strategy, varies by both age and anxiety symptoms. Young children (ages 8–12 years) with high anxiety exhibit significantly less planful behavior than similarly-aged children with low anxiety. These findings highlight the importance of considering how maturation influences relations between anxiety and performance on cognitive-control tasks and have implications for understanding the pathophysiology of anxiety in children.
Modelling the productivity of Siberian larch forests from Landsat NDVI time series in fragmented forest stands of the Mongolian forest-steppe
Authors: Erasmi Stefan , Klinge Michael , Dulamsuren Choimaa , Schneider Florian , Hauck Markus
Published: March 2021

The monitoring of the spatial and temporal dynamics of vegetation productivity is important in the context of carbon sequestration by terrestrial ecosystems from the atmosphere. The accessibility of the full archive of medium-resolution earth observation data for multiple decades dramatically improved the potential of remote sensing to support global climate change and terrestrial carbon cycle studies. We investigated a dense time series of multi-sensor Landsat Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data at the southern fringe of the boreal forests in the Mongolian forest-steppe with regard to the ability to capture the annual variability in radial stemwood increment and thus forest productivity. Forest productivity was assessed from dendrochronological series of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) from 15 plots in forest patches of different ages and stand sizes. The results revealed a strong correlation between the maximum growing season NDVI of forest sites and tree ring width over an observation period of 20 years. This relationship was independent of the forest stand size and of the landscape’s forest-to-grassland ratio. We conclude from the consistent findings of our case study that the maximum growing season NDVI can be used for retrospective modelling of forest productivity over larger areas. The usefulness of grassland NDVI as a proxy for forest NDVI to monitor forest productivity in semi-arid areas could only partially be confirmed. Spatial and temporal inconsistencies between forest and grassland NDVI are a consequence of different physiological and ecological vegetation properties. Due to coarse spatial resolution of available satellite data, previous studies were not able to account for small-scaled land-cover patches like fragmented forest in the forest-steppe. Landsat satellite-time series were able to separate those effects and thus may contribute to a better understanding of the impact of global climate change on natural ecosystems.
In vitro validation and characterization of pulsed inhaled nitric oxide administration during early inspiration
Authors: Pickerodt Philipp A. , Hofferberth Moritz B. T. , Busch Thilo , Russ Martin , Taher Mahdi , Boemke Willehad , Weber-Carstens Steffen , Köbrich Rainer , Swenson Erik , Deja Maria , Francis Roland C. E.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Admixture of nitric oxide (NO) to the gas inspired with mechanical ventilation can be achieved through continuous, timed, or pulsed injection of NO into the inspiratory limb. The dose and timing of NO injection govern the inspired and intrapulmonary effect site concentrations achieved with different administration modes. Here we test the effectiveness and target reliability of a new mode injecting pulsed NO boluses exclusively during early inspiration.

Methods

An in vitro lung model was operated under various ventilator settings. Admixture of NO through injection into the inspiratory limb was timed either (i) selectively during early inspiration (“pulsed delivery”), or as customary, (ii) during inspiratory time or (iii) the entire respiratory cycle. Set NO target concentrations of 5–40 parts per million (ppm) were tested for agreement with the yield NO concentrations measured at various sites in the inspiratory limb, to assess the effectiveness of these NO administration modes.

Results

Pulsed delivery produced inspiratory NO concentrations comparable with those of customary modes of NO administration. At low (450 ml) and ultra-low (230 ml) tidal volumes, pulsed delivery yielded better agreement of the set target (up to 40 ppm) and inspiratory NO concentrations as compared to customary modes. Pulsed delivery with NO injection close to the artificial lung yielded higher intrapulmonary NO concentrations than with NO injection close to the ventilator. The maximum inspiratory NO concentration observed in the trachea (68 ± 30 ppm) occurred with pulsed delivery at a set target of 40 ppm.

Conclusion

Pulsed early inspiratory phase NO injection is as effective as continuous or non-selective admixture of NO to inspired gas and may confer improved target reliability, especially at low, lung protective tidal volumes.
Le génocide des nazis dans les témoignages des interprètes et traducteurs au procès de Nuremberg
Authors: Nowak-Korcz Paulina
Published: March 2021

The Nuremberg Trial is of paramount importance, first of all, in historic and legal terms, as it laid the foundations for an international justice system that had no precedent in history, but also in linguistic terms, as it marks the very beginning of simultaneous interpretation and the modern profession of interpreting. By analysing the testimonies of those exceptional interpreters who were ensuring the communication in four languages before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, we will highlight the linguistic and technical challenges they were facing as well as the deeply personal struggles they had to overcome, in particular on a psychological and ethical level, while taking part in a worldwide historic event. The aim of this article is to deepen the current state of research on simultaneous interpretation, but above all to pay tribute to these remarkable interpreters and translators who made history with their pioneering work and their legendary accomplishments in Nuremberg.
Response of nitrogen fractions in the rhizosphere and bulk soil to organic mulching in an urban forest plantation
Authors: Sun Xiaodan , Wang Gang , Ye Yuqian , Ma Qingxu , Guan Qingwei , Jones Davey L.
Published: March 2021

Nitrogen is an essential component in forest ecosystem nutrient cycling. Nitrogen fractions, such as dissolved nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, and microbial biomass nitrogen, are sensitive indicators of soil nitrogen pools which affect soil fertility and nutrient cycling. However, the responses of nitrogen fractions in forest soils to organic mulching are less well understood. The rhizosphere is an important micro-region that must be considered to better understand element cycling between plants and the soil. A field investigation was carried out on the effect of mulching soil in a 15-year-old Ligustrum lucidum urban plantation. Changes in total nitrogen and nitrogen fractions in rhizosphere and bulk soil in the topsoil (upper 20 cm) and in the subsoil (20–40 cm) were evaluated following different levels of mulching, in addition to nitrogen contents in fine roots, leaves, and organic mulch. The relationships between nitrogen fractions and other measured variables were analysed. Organic mulching had no significant effect on most nitrogen fractions except for the rhizosphere microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and the thinnest (5 cm) mulching layer showed greater effects than other treatments. Rhizosphere MBN was more sensitive to mulching compared to bulk soil, and was more affected by soil environmental changes. Season and soil depth had more pronounced effects on nitrogen fractions than mulching. Total nitrogen and dissolved nitrogen were correlated to soil phosphorus, whereas other nitrogen fractions were strongly affected by soil physical properties (temperature, water content, bulk density). Mulching also decreased leaf nitrogen content, which was more related to soil nitrogen fractions (except for MBN) than nitrogen contents in either fine roots or organic mulch. Frequent applications of small quantities of organic mulch contribute to nitrogen transformation and utilization in urban forests.
Maturity model for determining digitalization levels within different product lifecycle phases
Authors: Siedler Carina , Dupont Stephanie , Zavareh Mona Tafvizi , Zeihsel Frank , Ehemann Tobias , Sinnwell Chantal , Göbel Jens C. , Zink Klaus J. , Aurich Jan C.
Published: March 2021

Maintaining pace with ongoing changes due to digitalization is challenging for manufacturing companies. For successful implementation of digitalization, manufacturing companies must consider their existing technical systems, organizational structures, and processes, as well as social aspects. With the support of a maturity model, a company-specific digitalization level can be evaluated to provide manufacturing companies with an initial insight into their particular status quo; this can serve as a starting point for future optimization and digitalization projects. Furthermore, the results of such an analysis allow objective comparison of different areas within the company and with competitors. In this paper, the “Integrierte Arbeitssystemgestaltung in digitalisierten Produktionsunternehmen” (InAsPro) maturity model is presented, which considers the Development, Production, and Assembly product lifecycle phases, as well as Aftersales, and assesses their digitalization level focusing on the four dimensions of Technology, Organization, Social Issues, and Corporate Strategy. The maturity model’s rating scale distinguishes between four maturity levels. The results given by the InAsPro maturity model for an entire company are presented, along with those for each product lifecycle phase. Extensive descriptions for each specific maturity level are also provided.
Self-Compassion and Anxiety and Depression in Chronic Physical Illness Populations: a Systematic Review
Authors: Hughes Maria , Brown Stephen L. , Campbell Sophie , Dandy Shannon , Cherry Mary G.
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Anxiety and depression are common in chronic physical illness populations. Self-compassion, the motivation and the capacity to alleviate one’s own suffering, is associated with reduced anxiety and depression in mental health populations. This review aimed to collate available research showing links between self-compassion and anxiety and depression in chronic physical illness populations.

Methods

This study is a systematic review of English language studies investigating univariate and multivariate correlates of anxiety and depression by self-compassion constructs in adult chronic physical illness populations.

Results

Twenty papers, reporting data from 16 unique studies, were included. Half sampled cancer patients. Self-compassion scores consistently showed moderate to large inverse associations with anxiety and depression over both univariate (r = −.37 to −.53 and r = −.38 to −.66, respectively) and multivariate analyses (β =.01 to β = −.55 and β = −.17 to β = −.59, respectively). Worry and depressive brooding, and shame, mediated relationships between self-compassion and anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

Although findings suggest that self-compassion processes may have a role in alleviating anxiety and depression in chronic physical illness populations, methodological limitations limit confidence in this proposition. Prospective studies that identify theoretically plausible mediators and moderators are required before the development or modification of therapeutic interventions.
Place, Peers, and Play: Children’s Belonging in a Preprimary School Setting
Authors: Kyrönlampi Taina , Uitto Minna , Puroila Anna-Maija
Published: March 2021

This article focuses on children’s perspectives of belonging to a place, in this case a Finnish preprimary school setting. This study explores “place-belonging” in photographs originally taken by the children in their preprimary school activities. “Photo-telling” was applied as a methodology to link narrative and visual approaches. The research data consist of 13 children’s photographs and group discussions, in which the children viewed the photographs with the researcher. The study shows that children’s belonging in the preprimary school was intertwined with various elements of the setting, including the people, activities, materiality, and institutional and cultural practices. The findings show how the children can make places of their own and contribute to the setting, how they build their own places, and how these places and associated structures affect the children’s actions. Play allows the children to gain familiarity and attachment to places, materials, and peers, hence building a sense of belonging to the preprimary school as a setting. Children’s photographs and storytelling activities provide educators with a significant means to support and understand children’s perspectives on place and belonging.
Structural properties and adsorption of uranyl ions on the nanocomposite hydroxyapatite/white clay
Authors: Broda E. , Gładysz-Płaska A. , Skwarek E. , Payentko V. V.
Published: March 2021

Uranium is more and more extensively applied as a source of energy and can be potentially used for nuclear weapon production. Owing to that fact, the problem of uranium expansion in the environment is the object of research and draw attention many scientists. One of the most effective methods of uranium removal from the wastewater (where uranium is present in a low concentration and occurs mainly in the form of uranyl ion, UO22+) is the adsorbent usage. It is important to discover an adsorbent which will be effective, widely available and cheap. The paper discusses properties and the ability of U (VI) adsorption on a clay and nanocomposite clay/Hap (hydroxyapatite) obtained by wet method. The adsorbents were characterized by the mentioned below tests: XRD, XRF, the porosity (nitrogen adsorption–desorption method), zeta potential, surface charge density and sorption of U (VI). It was shown that nanocrystalline composites Hap/white clay can be appropriate adsorbent for removal of uranyl ions. The adsorption depends on the temperature and pH of the solution.
Optimal bounds for the sine and hyperbolic tangent means IV
Authors: Nowicka Monika , Witkowski Alfred
Published: March 2021

We provide optimal bounds for the sine and hyperbolic tangent means in terms of various weighted means of the arithmetic and centroidal means
Handlungsfelder und Arbeitsbereiche nach dem dualen Pflegestudium – Eine Verbleibstudie an der FH Münster
Authors: Claaßen Ailina Christina , Jeiler Katharina , Martens Dorothee , Oetting-Roß Claudia
Published: March 2021

Hintergrund

Nach der Etablierung grundständiger Studiengänge in der Pflege stehen die ersten Absolvent_innen inzwischen dem Arbeitsmarkt zur Verfügung. Unabhängig vom erwarteten Mehrwert für die Pflegepraxis sind einige Aspekte hinsichtlich des beruflichen Verbleibs, der Aufgabenprofile und Handlungsfelder sowie der beruflichen Zufriedenheit nach wie vor unklar.

Ziel der Arbeit

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, in welchen Handlungsfeldern und Arbeitsbereichen Absolvent_innen eingesetzt werden, wie zufrieden sie damit sind, und welche akademischen Weiterqualifizierungen sie in Anspruch nehmen bzw. anstreben.

Methodik

Nach einer literaturbasierten Fragebogenentwicklung erfolgte die Datenerhebung als onlinegestützte Befragung (EvaSys) der bisherigen Absolvent_innenjahrgänge des Bachelor-Studiengangs Pflege dual der FH Münster. Die Befragungsergebnisse wurden deskriptiv mittels SPSS ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse

Die Ergebnisse zeigen ein vielfältiges Aufgabenprofil in der direkten pflegerischen Versorgung mit überwiegend klientennahen Tätigkeiten. Die Befragten sind insgesamt eher zufrieden mit ihrer beruflichen Tätigkeit. Zudem verdeutlicht die Aufnahme verschiedener aufbauender Studiengänge ein Streben nach Weiterqualifizierung.

Schlussfolgerung

Den Absolvent_innen gelingt es in der Regel gut, sich Handlungsfelder und (erweiterte) Arbeitsbereiche im Rahmen ihrer Pflegetätigkeit zu erschließen. Es scheint, als erfolge diese Schaffung neuer Tätigkeitsfelder nicht selten durch die Eigeninitiative der Absolvent_innen selbst. Dies impliziert die Notwendigkeit einer Weiterentwicklung der beruflichen Praxis, insbesondere hinsichtlich spezifischer Stellenprofile und Personalkonzepte für akademisch qualifizierte Pflegefachkräfte. Die Entwicklung passgenauer Stellenprofile sollte die berufliche Verortung der Absolvent_innen zukünftig unterstützen und ihnen schon im Studium eine Perspektive bieten.
Personalized screening intervals for kidney function in patients with chronic heart failure: a modeling study
Authors: Schuurman Anne-Sophie , Tomer Anirudh , Akkerhuis K. Martijn , Hoorn Ewout J. , Brugts Jasper J. , Manintveld Olivier C. , van Ramshorst Jan , Umans Victor A. , Boersma Eric , Rizopoulos Dimitris , Kardys Isabella
Published: March 2021

Background

High mortality and rehospitalization rates demonstrate that improving risk assessment in heart failure patients remains challenging. Individual temporal evolution of kidney biomarkers is associated with poor clinical outcome in these patients and hence may carry the potential to move towards a personalized screening approach.

Methods

In 263 chronic heart failure patients included in the prospective Bio-SHiFT cohort study, glomerular and tubular biomarker measurements were serially obtained according to a pre-scheduled, fixed trimonthly scheme. The primary endpoint (PE) comprised cardiac death, cardiac transplantation, left ventricular assist device implantation or heart failure hospitalization. Personalized scheduling of glomerular and tubular biomarker measurements was compared to fixed scheduling in individual patients by means of a simulation study, based on clinical characteristics of the Bio-SHiFT study. For this purpose, repeated biomarker measurements and the PE were jointly modeled. For personalized scheduling, using this fitted joint model, we determined the optimal time point of the next measurement based on the patient’s individual risk profile as estimated by the joint model and the maximum information gain on the patient’s prognosis. We compared the schedule’s capability of enabling timely intervention before the occurrence of the PE and number of measurements needed.

Results

As compared to a pre-defined trimonthly scheduling approach, personalized scheduling of glomerular and tubular biomarker measurements showed similar performance with regard to prognostication, but required a median of 0.4–2.7 fewer measurements per year.

Conclusion

Personalized scheduling is expected to reduce the number of patient visits and healthcare costs. Thus, it may contribute to efficient monitoring of chronic heart failure patients and could provide novel opportunities for timely adaptation of treatment.

Graphic abstract
Frontiers of light manipulation in natural, metallic, and dielectric nanostructures
Authors: De Tommasi E. , Esposito E. , Romano S. , Crescitelli A. , Di Meo V. , Mocella V. , Zito G. , Rendina I.
Published: March 2021

The ability to control light at the nanoscale is at the basis of contemporary photonics and plasmonics. In particular, properly engineered periodic nanostructures not only allow the inhibition of propagation of light at specific spectral ranges or its confinement in nanocavities or waveguides, but make also possible field enhancement effects in vibrational, Raman, infrared and fluorescence spectroscopies, paving the way to the development of novel high-performance optical sensors. All these devices find an impressive analogy in nearly-periodic photonic nanostructures present in several plants, animals and algae, which can represent a source of inspiration in the development and optimization of new artificial nano-optical systems. Here we present the main properties and applications of cutting-edge nanostructures starting from several examples of natural photonic architectures, up to the most recent technologies based on metallic and dielectric metasurfaces.
Non-dense orbits on homogeneous spaces and applications to geometry and number theory
Authors: AN JINPENG , GUAN LIFAN , KLEINBOCK DMITRY
Published: March 2021

Let G be a Lie group, let
$\Gamma \subset G$
be a discrete subgroup, let
$X=G/\Gamma $
and let f be an affine map from X to itself. We give conditions on a submanifold Z of X that guarantee that the set of points
$x\in X$
with f-trajectories avoiding Z is hyperplane absolute winning (a property which implies full Hausdorff dimension and is stable under countable intersections). A similar result is proved for one-parameter actions on X. This has applications in constructing exceptional geodesics on locally symmetric spaces and in non-density of the set of values of certain functions at integer points.
Amendments to the 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation Concerning International Law (2020)
Authors: Kalinichenko Paul , Kochenov Dimitry Vladimirovich
Published: March 2021

The Russian Constitution was adopted by a referendum on December 12, 1993. It was inspired by Western constitutional traditions and internationally recognised democratic and human rights values. The Constitution established three core features of the Russian constitutional order, all breaking with the Soviet past:

•

The Constitutional provisions on the foundations of the constitutional system, the protection of human rights, and constitutional review are unchangeable and cannot be amended, except via the summoning of a new Constitutional Assembly/national referendum (art. 135).

•

The Constitution established a strongly monist approach to international law, integrating it into the Russian legal order and giving priority to duly ratified international treaties and agreements to override conflicting domestic laws (art. 15(4)).

•

The Russian Constitutional Court enjoys exclusive competence to interpret the Constitution via binding precedents.
Interpreting change through legal culture: the case of the Irish exclusionary rule
Authors: Hamilton Claire
Published: March 2021

The changes to the Irish exclusionary rule introduced by the judgment in People (DPP) v JC mark an important watershed in the Irish law of evidence and Irish legal culture more generally. The case relaxed the exclusionary rule established in People (DPP) v Kenny, one of the strictest in the common law world, by creating an exception based on ‘inadvertence’. This paper examines the decision through the lens of legal culture, drawing in particular on Lawrence Friedman's distinction between ‘internal’ and ‘external’ legal culture to help understand the factors contributing to the decision. The paper argues that Friedman's concept and, in particular, the dialectic between internal and external legal culture, holds much utility at a micro as well as macro level, in interrogating the cultural logics at work in judicial decision-making.
Intimacy and emotions at the dawn of Performance Art in Italy
Authors: Gallo Francesca
Published: March 2021

This paper investigates the actions executed by Italian artists – male and female – centred on interpersonal relationships, at times with an insight into the dynamics of couples or directly involving the public. In Italy, during the 1960s and 1970s, various artists dedicated themselves to what were initially called happenings or actions, and only later became known as ‘performances’, but unlike in the better-known Body Art, the phenomenological exploration of the self and of reality frequently observed in the Arte Povera circle of artists, many welcomed the new sensibility embodied by feminism, which, by redefining gender positioning, emphasised the centrality of the ‘private’ sphere and revived interest in ‘affection’. This is particularly significant in light of the Italian cultural context, where women artists have often looked with suspicion at any initiatives dedicated explicitly to women's issues or at women-only exhibitions.