bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LeWoS: A universal leaf‐wood classification method to facilitate the 3D modelling of large tropical trees using terrestrial LiDAR
Authors: Wang Di , Momo Takoudjou Stéphane , Casella Eric
Published: December 2019

Leaf‐wood separation in terrestrial LiDAR data is a prerequisite for non‐destructively estimating biophysical forest properties such as standing wood volumes and leaf area distributions. Current methods have not been extensively applied and tested on tropical trees. Moreover, their impacts on the accuracy of subsequent wood volume retrieval were rarely explored.

We present LeWoS, a new fully automatic tool to automate the separation of leaf and wood components, based only on geometric information at both the plot and individual tree scales. This data‐driven method utilizes recursive point cloud segmentation and regularization procedures. Only one parameter is required, which makes our method easily and universally applicable to data from any LiDAR technology and forest type.

We conducted a twofold evaluation of the LeWoS method on an extensive dataset of 61 tropical trees. We first assessed the point‐wise classification accuracy, yielding a score of 0.91 ± 0.03 in average. Second, we evaluated the impact of the proposed method on 3D tree models by cross‐comparing estimates in wood volume and branch length with those based on manually separated wood points. This comparison showed similar results, with relative biases of less than 9% and 21% on volume and length respectively.

LeWoS allows an automated processing chain for non‐destructive tree volume and biomass estimation when coupled with 3D modelling methods. The average processing time on a laptop was 90s for 1 million points. We provide LeWoS as an open‐source tool with an end‐user interface, together with a large dataset of labelled 3D point clouds from contrasting forest structures. This study closes the gap for stand volume modelling in tropical forests where leaf and wood separation remain a crucial challenge.
Better care for less money: cost‐effectiveness of integrated care in multi‐episode patients with severe psychosis
Authors: Karow A. , Brettschneider C. , Helmut König H. , Correll C.U. , Schöttle D. , Lüdecke D. , Rohenkohl A. , Ruppelt F. , Kraft V. , Gallinat J. , Lambert M.
Published: December 2019

Objective

To compare cost‐effectiveness of integrated care with therapeutic assertive community treatment (IC‐TACT) versus standard care (SC) in multiple‐episode psychosis.

Method

Twelve‐month IC‐TACT in patients with schizophrenia‐spectrum and bipolar I disorders were compared with a historical control group. Primary outcomes were entropy‐balanced cost‐effectiveness based on mental healthcare costs from a payers’ perspective and quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) as a measure of health effects during 12‐month follow‐up.

Results

At baseline, patients in IC‐TACT (n = 214) had significantly higher illness severity and lower functioning than SC (n = 56). Over 12 months, IC‐TACT had significantly lower days in inpatient (10.3 ± 20.5 vs. 28.2 ± 44.9; P = 0.005) and day‐clinic care (2.6 ± 16.7 vs. 16.4 ± 33.7; P = 0.004) and correspondingly lower costs (€−55 084). Within outpatient care, IC‐TACT displayed a higher number of treatment contacts (116.3 ± 45.3 vs. 15.6 ± 6.3) and higher related costs (€+1417). Both resulted in lower total costs in IC‐TACT (mean difference = €−13 248 ± 2975, P < 0.001). Adjusted incremental QALYs were significantly higher for IC‐TACT versus SC (+0.10 ± 0.37, P = 0.05). The probability of cost‐effectiveness of IC‐TACT was constantly higher than 99%.

Conclusion

IC‐TACT was cost‐effective compared with SC. The use of prima facies ‘costly’ TACT teams is highly recommended to improve outcomes and save total cost for patients with severe psychotic disorders.
A multimodal investigation of cerebellar integrity associated with high‐risk cannabis use
Authors: Sweigert Julia , Pagulayan Kathleen , Greco Gabriella , Blake Matthew , Larimer Mary , Kleinhans Natalia M.
Published: December 2019

With legalization efforts across the United States, cannabis use is becoming increasingly mainstream. Various studies have documented the effects of acute and chronic cannabis use on brain structure and cognitive performance, including within the frontal executive control network, but little attention has been given to the effects on the cerebellum. Recent evidence increasingly points to the role of the cerebellum in various nonmotor networks, and the cerebellum's expression of cannabinoid receptors may pose particular vulnerabilities to the consequences of cannabis use. Using a combined approach of resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), the present study aims to assess how cannabis use relates to the cerebellum's intrinsic functional connectivity and underlying white matter structure and whether these properties are associated with craving or severity of cannabis use. Resting‐state fMRI and DTI data, as well as self‐reports of substance use history, were analyzed from a sample of 26 adults at risk for cannabis use disorder (CUD) and an age‐ and sex‐matched comparison group of 25 cannabis‐naïve adults (control). Results demonstrated that individuals at risk for a CUD showed key differences in cerebellar functional connectivity, with specific impacts on the dorsal attention and default mode networks. In addition, group differences in white matter were localized to the middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), with a relationship between lower MCP diffusivity and higher levels of self‐reported craving. These findings lend further support to the cerebellum's role in key cognitive networks and potential consequences for substance use disorders.
Development of the Angioedema Control Test—A patient‐reported outcome measure that assesses disease control in patients with recurrent angioedema
Authors: Weller Karsten , Donoso Tamara , Magerl Markus , Aygören‐Pürsün Emel , Staubach Petra , Martinez‐Saguer Inmaculada , Hawro Tomasz , Altrichter Sabine , Krause Karoline , Siebenhaar Frank , Metz Martin , Zuberbier Torsten , Freier Denise , Maurer Marcus
Published: December 2019

Background

Recurrent angioedema (AE) is an important clinical problem in the context of chronic urticaria (mast cell mediator–induced), ACE‐inhibitor intake and hereditary angioedema (both bradykinin‐mediated). To help patients obtain control of their recurrent AE is a major treatment goal. However, a tool to assess control of recurrent AE is not yet available. This prompted us to develop such a tool, the Angioedema Control Test (AECT).

Methods

After a conceptional framework was developed for the AECT, a list of potential AECT items was generated by a combined approach of patient interviews, literature review and expert input. Subsequent item reduction was based on impact analysis, inter‐item correlation, additional predefined criteria for item performance, and a review of the item selection process for content validity. Finally, an instruction section was generated, and an US‐American‐English version was developed by a structured translation process.

Results

A 4‐item AECT with recall periods of 4 weeks and 3 months was developed based on 106 potential items tested in 97 patients with mast cell mediator‐induced (n = 49) or bradykinin‐mediated recurrent AE (n = 48). Eighty‐four items were excluded based on impact analysis. The remaining 22 items could be further reduced by a method‐mix of inter‐item correlation, additional predefined criteria for item performance and review for content validity.

Conclusions

The AECT is the first tool to assess disease control in recurrent AE patients. Its retrospective approach, its brevity and its simple scoring make the AECT ideally suited for clinical practice and trials. Its validity and reliability need to be determined in future independent studies.
Interleukin 31 in insect bite hypersensitivity—Alleviating clinical symptoms by active vaccination against itch
Authors: Olomski Florian , Fettelschoss Victoria , Jonsdottir Sigridur , Birkmann Katharina , Thoms Franziska , Marti Eliane , Bachmann Martin F. , Kündig Thomas M. , Fettelschoss‐Gabriel Antonia
Published: December 2019

Background

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most common seasonal pruritic allergic dermatitis of horses occurring upon insect bites. In recent years, a major role for IL‐31 in allergic pruritus of humans, monkeys, dogs, and mice was acknowledged. Here, we investigate the role of IL‐31 in IBH of horses and developed a therapeutic vaccine against equine IL‐31 (eIL‐31).

Methods

IL‐31 levels were quantified in allergen‐stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and skin punch biopsies of IBH lesions and healthy skin from IBH‐affected and healthy horses. The vaccine consisted of eIL‐31 covalently coupled to a virus‐like particle (VLP) derived from cucumber mosaic virus containing a tetanus toxoid universal T‐cell epitope (CuMVTT). Eighteen IBH‐affected horses were recruited and immunized with 300 μg of eIL‐31‐CuMVTT vaccine or placebo and IBH severity score was recorded.

Results

IL‐31 was increased in PBMCs and exclusively detectable in skin lesions of IBH‐affected horses. Vaccination against eIL‐31 reduced delta clinical scores when compared to previous untreated IBH season of the same horses and to placebo‐treated horses in the same year. The vaccine was well tolerated without safety concerns throughout the study.

Conclusion

TH2‐derived IL‐31 is involved in IBH pathology and accordingly the immunotherapeutic vaccination approach targeting IL‐31 alleviated clinical scores in affected horses.
No Herd for Black Sheep: A Meta‐Analytic Review of the Predictors and Outcomes of Workplace Ostracism
Authors: Bedi Akanksha
Published: December 2019

Ostracism is a ubiquitous and inevitable part of human personal and professional lives. Despite its prevalence, organizational scholars have yet to provide a comprehensive review of the empirical literature on workplace ostracism. In this study, I use belongingness theory, conservation of resources theory, and need‐threat/need fortification theory to conduct a meta‐analysis of the relationships between the predictors and outcomes of workplace ostracism. My results suggest that experiences of workplace incivility and victim personality traits have a significant influence on the perceptions of workplace ostracism. I also found that self‐esteem partially mediates the relationship between workplace ostracism and work outcomes. In addition, workplace ostracism was related negatively to numerous health and work outcomes. Furthermore, national culture (collectivistic vs. individualistic cultures) of study samples moderated some of the proposed relationships. Finally, results from relative weight analyses revealed a unique contribution of workplace ostracism in the prediction of job satisfaction, although abusive supervision and interpersonal deviance were important predictors of OCBs and deviant work behaviors. I conclude with a discussion of these findings.
Delta‐shaped anastomosis vs circular stapler anastomosis after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Billroth I reconstruction: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hosoda Kei , Mieno Hiroaki , Ema Akira , Ushiku Hideki , Washio Marie , Song Ildae , Watanabe Masahiko , Yamashita Keishi , Hiki Naoki
Published: December 2019

Introduction

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of delta‐shaped anastomosis compared to circular stapler anastomosis in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Billroth I reconstruction.

Methods

This is a single‐center randomized controlled study. Eligibility criteria included histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma in the lower third of the stomach, clinical stage I tumor. Patients were preoperatively randomized to circular stapler anastomosis or delta‐shaped anastomosis. The primary endpoint is the number of analgesics used during three days after surgery. We compared the surgical outcomes of the two groups. Postoperative quality of life was evaluated using the Postgastrectomy Syndrome Assessment Scale‐45. This trial was registered at the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry as UMIN000025160.

Results

Between December 2016 and September 2018, 39 patients (delta‐shaped anastomosis 18, circular stapler anastomosis 21) were enrolled. There was no difference in the number of analgesics used during three days after surgery (median nine: delta‐shaped anastomosis vs nine: circular stapler anastomosis, P = .91). There was no difference in the overall proportion with in‐hospital grade II–IIIB surgical complications (11%: delta‐shaped anastomosis, 14%: circular stapler anastomosis). There was no operation‐related death in either arm. Regarding postoperative quality of life evaluated one month after surgery, diarrhea subscale was significantly worse in delta‐shaped anastomosis than in circular stapler anastomosis.

Conclusion

We did not demonstrate the advantage of delta‐shaped anastomosis in terms of postoperative pain. Since delta‐shaped anastomosis tended to cause postoperative abdominal symptoms related to diarrhea, we should carefully apply the delta‐shaped anastomosis to laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Billroth I reconstruction.
Teachers’ multicultural attitudes and perspective taking abilities as factors in culturally responsive teaching
Authors: Abacioglu Ceren Su , Volman Monique , Fischer Agneta H.
Published: December 2019

Background

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) has been associated with increased student engagement and achievement. Its practice in classrooms, however, has been shown to be less than optimal. Nonetheless, certain teacher qualities have been suggested to facilitate its practice.

Aims

The current study sought quantitative evidence in support of two of these teacher qualities, namely teachers’ multicultural attitudes, and their perspective taking abilities. By identifying the strength of the suggested relationships, we aimed to examine the generalizability of previous findings in the literature and inform teachers’ professional development and interventions.

Sample

A total of 143 primary school teachers from different parts of the Netherlands responded to our online survey.

Methods

We conducted a multivariate multiple regression analysis to investigate the relationship between these qualities and teachers’ engagement in two separate but related components of CRT (i.e., socially sensitive and culturally sensitive teaching).

Results

Results of our analysis yielded significant relationships between the two teacher qualities and the frequency with which teachers engage in socially and culturally sensitive teaching. Perspective taking was a stronger predictor for both aspects of CRT.

Conclusion

These findings signal the significance of incorporating especially perspective taking experiences and exercises into teacher education and professional development programmes, which could benefit all students regardless of their backgrounds. Our results are promising as these qualities are malleable and thus can be improved.
Are preschoolers who spontaneously create patterns better in mathematics?
Authors: Wijns Nore , De Smedt Bert , Verschaffel Lieven , Torbeyns Joke
Published: December 2019

Background

Early patterning competence has recently been identified as an important precursor of mathematical development. Whereas the focus of this research has been on children’s ability regarding repeating patterns, children might also differ in their spontaneous attention to patterns.

Aims

The present study aimed to explore 4‐ to 5‐year olds’ Spontaneous Focusing On Patterns (SFOP) and its association with their patterning and mathematical ability.

Sample

Participants were 378 children (Mage = 4 years 10 months; 191 boys) from 17 preschools.

Methods

Spontaneous Focusing On Patterns was measured with a construction task in which children had to build a tower with 15 blocks of three different colours. The constructions of the children were grouped into three categories (i.e., pattern, random, and sorting). We additionally administered tasks assessing their patterning ability, mathematical ability, spatial ability, and visuospatial working memory.

Results

When building a tower, 37% of the preschoolers spontaneously created a pattern, 49% made a random construction, and 14% sorted the blocks per colour. Preschoolers who spontaneously created a pattern had better patterning and mathematical ability than children in the random group. Group differences in patterning ability and spatial skills accounted for the difference in mathematical ability.

Conclusions

The current data suggest that children’s spontaneous attention to patterns is an important component of their mathematical ability. Children’s spontaneous pattern constructions may provide opportunities to discuss and practice patterns in preschool settings or at home, but more research is required to further analyse the role of SFOP in early mathematical development.
Are conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge empirically separable? The case of fractions
Authors: Lenz Katja , Dreher Anika , Holzäpfel Lars , Wittmann Gerald
Published: December 2019

Background

Concerning students’ difficulties with fractions, many explanatory approaches are based on the distinction between conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge. For further research in this field, it is thus crucial to make these constructs accessible to valid measurement.

Aims

In this study, we aim at developing a test instrument that affords valid measurement of students’ conceptual and procedural fraction knowledge, including in particular empirical validation of this distinction.

Sample

The data used in this study were from 8th‐ and 9th‐grade students (N = 235) in Germany.

Methods

Facilitated by expert discussions, items from previous studies were developed further and assigned to either a conceptual scale or procedural scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to investigate the underlying structure of the data including model comparisons (1‐dimensional; conceptual–procedural, verbal–non‐verbal). Further analyses in terms of validation focused on reliability and on correlations of the knowledge types with general cognitive abilities.

Results

It was found that the theoretically assumed 2‐dimensional model fitted the data best. Correlations of the two knowledge types with general cognitive abilities differed significantly. Furthermore, the latent constructs could be reliably estimated from its indicators.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that the empirical separation of conceptual and procedural fraction knowledge is possible: A theoretically grounded test instrument was developed that allows measuring the knowledge types with a sufficient degree of validity. These findings address a research gap that was pointed out repeatedly and gives rise to further research into reasons and remedies for students’ difficulties in dealing with fractions.
Illness Risk Representation beliefs underlying adolescents’ cardiovascular disease risk appraisals and the preventative role of physical activity
Authors: Newby Katie , Varnes Laura , Yorke Eleanor , Meisel Susanne F. , Fisher Abi
Published: December 2019

Objectives

The primary aim was to explore adolescents’ cardiovascular disease risk appraisals and establish whether they understood the preventative role of physical activity (PA). The secondary aim was to examine whether adolescents’ cardiovascular disease risk appraisal fitted with the Illness Risk Representations (IRR) framework.

Design

Qualitative.

Methods

Thirty‐one adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years participated in semi‐structured interviews. Data were analysed using Framework Analysis.

Results

Knowledge of lifestyle behaviours contributing to cardiovascular disease was good. Participants reflected on their current (or expected future) patterns of these behaviours when making judgements about lifetime risk. They struggled however to explain how different health behaviours, including PA, affected the development of the disease. Cardiovascular disease was viewed as potentially fatal, but participants had only a superficial understanding of the consequences of, or treatments for, the disease. The IRR framework, as proposed by Cameron (2003, https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/brp/research/theories_project/cameron.pdf), largely captured the way in which adolescents’ made judgements about their risk of cardiovascular disease.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that adolescents are underestimating their risk of cardiovascular disease due to unhelpful beliefs. Interventions should: provide clear and simple explanations of how different health behaviours contribute to cardiovascular risk, highlight discrepancies that exist between current levels of preventative behaviour and that required to confer a protective effect, expose the false belief that a lack of PA in early life can be compensated for in later adulthood, and aid understanding of the true impact that the disease and its treatment could have of health and quality of life outcomes.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Physical activity (PA) throughout one's lifetime can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The majority of adolescents’ do not meet the recommended levels of PA.

Changing beliefs about the risk of cardiovascular disease might be a useful strategy to motivate engagement in PA.

What does this study add?

An increased understanding of adolescents’ knowledge of cardiovascular disease and the link with PA.

Identification of strategies to change adolescents’ risk perceptions of cardiovascular disease in ways that could motivate PA.

Evidence to support the Illness Risk Representation framework.
Do state‐owned enterprises benefit more from China's cereal grain tariff‐rate quota regime?
Authors: Xie Chaoping , Grant Jason H. , Boys Kathryn A.
Published: December 2019

In 2016, the United States launched a formal dispute with the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning China's wheat, corn, and rice tariff‐rate quota (TRQs) administration. A formal panel was requested in August 2017, with several major grain exporters, including Canada, joining as third‐party members. This study employs two unique micro‐level datasets to investigate the role of state‐owned and non‐state‐owned enterprises’ (SOE and non‐SOE, respectively) in China's agricultural imports. Results suggest that SOEs are noticeably more active in importing quota‐bound commodities compared to quota‐free imported commodities. Moreover, the larger role of SOEs in China's cereal grain imports is negatively correlated with China's food security targets, as measured by estimated prior year stocks‐to‐use ratios. Conversely, above average food security targets in China's cereal grain market leads to an important extensive margin adjustment of non‐SOE import participation. Finally, we find very little compelling evidence that China's September reallocation of unused TRQ has any economic or statistically significant impact on non‐SOE entry into importing or the intensity with which their imports occur.
The Sphkl/SlP pathway regulates angiogenesis via NOS/NO synthesis following cerebral ischemia‐reperfusion
Authors: Lv Man-Hua , Li Shi , Jiang Yong‐Jia , Zhang Wei
Published: December 2019

Aims

Sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) and the signaling molecule sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) are known to be key regulators of a variety of important biological processes, such as neovascularization. Nitric oxide (NO) is also known to play a role in vasoactive properties, whether Sphk1/S1P signaling is able to alter angiogenesis in the context of cerebral ischemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI), and whether such activity is linked with NO production, however, remains uncertain.

Methods

We used immunofluorescence to detect the expression of Sphk1 and NOS in cerebral epithelial cells (EC) after IR or oxygen‐glucose deprivation (OGDR). Western blotting was used to detect the Sphk1 and NOS protein levels in brain tissues or HBMECs. Adenovirus transfection was used to inhibit Sphk1 and NOS. An NO kit was used to detect NO contents in brain tissues and epithelial cells. Tube formation assays were conducted to measure angiogenesis.

Results

We determined that EC used in a model of cerebral IRI expressed Sphk1, and that inhibiting this expression led to decreased expression of two isoforms of NO synthase (eNOS and iNOS), as well as to decrease neovascularization density and NO production following injury. In HBMECs, knocking down Sphk1 markedly reduced NO production owing to reduced eNOS activity, and inhibiting eNOS directly similarly decreased NO production in a manner which could be reversed via exogenously treating cells with S1P. We further found that knocking down Sphk1 reduced HBMEC eNOS expression, in addition to decreasing the adhesion, migration, and tube formation abilities of these cells under OGDR conditions.

Conclusions

Based on these results, we therefore postulate that Sphk1/S1P signaling is able to mediate angiogenesis following cerebral IRI via the regulation of eNOS activity and NO production. As such, targeting these pathways may potentially represent a novel means of improving patient prognosis in those suffering from cerebral IRI.
CMR‐based heart deformation analysis for quantification of hemodynamics and right ventricular dysfunction in patients with CTEPH
Authors: Tao Xincao , Liu Min , Liu Weifang , Xie Wanmu , Wan Jun , Zhai Zhenguo , Wang Chen
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Quantification of hemodynamics and right ventricular (RV) function is crucial for pulmonary hypertension (PH). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance–based heart deformation analysis (CMR‐HDA) has been used to assess the ventricular strain.

Objective

This study was to determine the correlation of right ventricular longitudinal strain (RVLS) assessed with CMR‐HDA with RV function as well as hemodynamics in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

Methods

Thirty‐six CTEPH patients were prospectively included in this research. Each patients underwent CMR and right heart catheterization (RHC). RVLS and RV ejection fraction (RVEF) was quantified from cine images acquired with a retrospectively gated turbo FLASH gradient‐echo sequence. The late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images were acquired using a 2D inversion recovery phase‐sensitive fast gradient‐echo sequence. Hemodynamics were determined with RHC.

Results

Right ventricular longitudinal strain measured with CMR‐HDA was −13.99 ± 4.94%. Bland–Altman plots showed statistical agreement with RVLS with low intra‐ and interobserver variability. RVLS correlated with serum N‐terminal‐pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (r = 0.615, P < .001). RVLS inversely correlated with RVEF (r = −0.699, P < .001), and it was positively correlated with both RVESV (r = 0.664, P < .001) and myocardial the volume of LGE (r = 0.447, P = .008). Receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) indicated that RVLS values of >−14.20% could be used to predict RVEF <40% with a 100% sensitivity and a 96.7% specificity. Hemodynamically, RVLS was positively correlated with mean pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.598, P < .001) and pulmonary vascular resistance (r = 0.685, P < .001).

Conclusion

Right ventricular longitudinal strain assessed by CMR‐HDA is a readily available and reproducible parameters of RV function. RVLS >−14.20% suggests the presence of RV dysfunction.
Seafloor biodiversity of Canada's three oceans: Patterns, hotspots and potential drivers
Authors: Wei Chih‐Lin , Cusson Mathieu , Archambault Philippe , Belley Renald , Brown Tanya , Burd Brenda J. , Edinger Evan , Kenchington Ellen , Gilkinson Kent , Lawton Peter , Link Heike , Ramey‐Balci Patricia A. , Scrosati Ricardo A. , Snelgrove Paul V. R.
Published: December 2019

Aim

We examined the relationships between bathymetry, latitude and energy and the diversity of marine benthic invertebrates across wide environmental ranges of Canada's three oceans.

Location

Canadian Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic Oceans from the intertidal zone to upper bathyal depths, encompassing 13 marine ecoregions.

Methods

We compiled 35 benthic datasets that encompass 3,337 taxa (70% identified to species and 21% to genus) from 13,172 samples spanning 6,117 sites. Partitioning the analyses by different gear types, ecoregions or sites, we used Hill numbers to examine spatial patterns in α‐diversity. We used resampling and extrapolation to standardized sampling effort and examined the effects of depth, latitude, chemical energy (export particulate organic carbon [POC] flux), thermal energy (bottom temperature) and seasonality of primary production on the benthic biodiversity.

Results

The Canadian Arctic harboured the highest benthic diversity (e.g. epifauna and common and dominant infauna species), whereas the lowest diversity was found in the Atlantic. The Puget Trough (Pacific), Beaufort Sea, Arctic Archipelago, Hudson Bay, Northern Labrador and Southern Grand Bank (Atlantic) were the “hotspots" of diversity among the ecoregions. The infauna and epifauna both exhibited hump‐shaped diversity–depth relationships, with peak diversity near shelf breaks; latitude (positively) predicted infaunal diversity, albeit weakly. Food supply, as inferred from primary production and depth, was more important than thermal energy in controlling diversity patterns. Limitations with respect to calculating POC flux in coastal (e.g. terrestrial runoff) and ice‐covered regions or biological interactions may explain the negative POC flux–infaunal diversity relationship.

Main Conclusions

We show previously unreported diversity hotspots in the Canadian Arctic and in other ecoregions. Our analyses reveal potential controlling mechanisms of large‐scale benthic biodiversity patterns in Canada's three oceans, which are inconsistent with the prevailing view of seafloor energy–diversity relationships. These results provide insightful information for conservation that can help to implement further MPA networks.
Design and Innovation as Co‐creating and Co‐becoming with the Future
Authors: Peschl Markus F.
Published: December 2019

Our world has changed radically over the last several decades. Almost every domain of our lives is affected by disruptions in technology—our economy, culture, and education, as well as social lives. We are living in an environment that is characterized by high levels of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (“VUCA world”). These changes bring about completely new challenges on an individual, an organizational, and a global level. Whereas classical approaches to design and innovation are based on the assumption that we can “solve” these challenges by applying techniques and methods of “problem solving,” of (social) collaboration, co‐creation, or co‐design, this paper challenges this “classical” understanding of “together” and “co‐.”

We will develop and take a closer look at three forms of “together” and “co‐,” investigating the relationship between the designer/innovator, his or her material and environment, and the involved stakeholders and their being embedded in ecosystems, as well as the future he or she is designing for: (a) being/working together and collaborating with others (socio‐epistemic dimension); (b) being together, interacting and corresponding with the material/world (co‐becoming dimension); and (c) being together and co‐developing with the future as “learning from the future as it emerges.”

It will be shown how these forms of together are related to design and innovation, and we will develop implications concerning new skills and mind‐sets.
Design‐Led Social Innovation in Human Trafficking
Authors: Mercer Lisa E.
Published: December 2019

Operation Compass is an ongoing ethnographic research study, and this paper is focused on phase two: integrating a social impact framework into the foundation of Operation Compass to develop design interventions for the complex social justice issue of human trafficking. In order to develop the parameters of a foundational framework, we need to (1) develop an understanding of the ethos of the existing social system among the service providers in the fight against human trafficking, (2) define key factors from existing frameworks that could potentially apply to Operation Compass, and (3) define necessary collaborations of formal and informal partners. Established organizations have provided a structure to the nature of wicked problems related to human trafficking, thus providing a space for Operation Compass to develop an understanding of the ethos of entities involved in the fight against human trafficking. The partnerships we have, both formal and informal, have been an integral aspect of our work and have afforded us the opportunity to expand upon the limitations of the first phase. This understanding has benefited our collaborations and partners and will be implemented into the foundational framework of Operation Compass. The ability to convey to social service agencies the value of design interventions has been a social impact process—not only because of the topic of focus but also, more importantly, due to the nature of our collaborations and partnerships.
Does celiac disease impair coronary microvascular circulation: Coronary flow velocity reserve of patients with celiac disease
Authors: Caliskan Zuhal , Telci Caklili Ozge , Kahraman Resul , Ozcan Fatma Betul , Sayar Suleyman , Kostek Osman , Demircioglu Kenan , Yilmaz Yusuf , Kul Seref , Caliskan Mustafa
Published: December 2019

Background

Celiac disease (CD) is an enteropathy characterized with immune reaction to gliadin protein.

Aim

In this study, we aimed to assess effect of CD on coronary microvascular circulation and the association between coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) and hs‐CRP/Albumin ratio.

Material and Methods

Study was conducted between March 2017 and November 2018 with CD at Umraniye Training and Research Hospital Gastroenterology Clinic. CFVR was defined as the ratio of hyperemic to baseline diastolic peak velocities. CFVR ≥ 2.0 was considered normal. C‐reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) was calculated as hs‐CRP/albumin.

Results

Serum albumin (4.27 ± 0.56 vs 4.50 ± 0.34; P value: .04) level was significantly lower in celiac group but higher Hs‐CRP (2.44 ± 1.24 vs 1.82 ± 1.29; P value < .01), hs‐CRP/albumin ratio (0.57 ± 0.30 vs 0.41 ± 0.31; P value: .03) were recorded in celiac group. Both hyperemic flow and CFVR substantially lower in the celiac group compared to controls. In univariate analysis; age, hs‐CRP, and hs‐CRP/albumin ratio were associated with low CFVR and hs‐CRP/albumin level was an accurate predictor of low CFVR at the ROC curve.

Conclusion

In this study, we found that in patients with CD, coronary flow reserve is impaired.
Triiodothyronine secretion in early thyroid failure: The adaptive response of central feedforward control
Authors: Hoermann Rudolf , Pekker Mark J. , Midgley John E. M. , Larisch Rolf , Dietrich Johannes W.
Published: December 2019

Background

Defined by thyroid‐pituitary feedback control, clinical diagnosis of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism has become synonymous with TSH measurement. We combined in silico analysis and in vivo data to explore the central influences on thyroidal T3 production.

Materials & methods

A system of five coupled first‐order nonlinear parameterised ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is used to model the feedback control of TSH and TRH by thyroid hormones together with the feedforward control of thyroidal T3 secretion and enzymatic T4‐T3 conversion. Dependencies of the stable equilibrium solutions of this ODE system, that is the homeostasis of the underlying physiological process, on the system parameters were investigated whether they accounted for clinical observations.

Results

During the modelled transition to hypothyroidism, central control imposed an increasing influence in maintaining serum FT3 levels, compared to peripheral conversion efficiency. Numerical continuation analysis revealed dependencies of T3 production on different elements of TSH feedforward control. While T4‐T3 conversion provided the main T3 source in euthyroidism, this was overtaken by increasing glandular T3 secretion when thyroid reserve declined. The computational results were in good agreement with data from untreated patients with autoimmune thyroiditis.

Conclusions

Dependencies revealed in the expression of control differ in thyroid health and disease, using a physiologically based mathematical model of combined feedback‐feedforward control of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid regulation. Strong T3‐protective mechanisms of the control system emerge with declining thyroid function, when glandular T3 secretion becomes increasingly influential over conversion efficiency. This has wide‐ranging implications for the utility of TSH in clinical decision‐making.
A tale of three marketplaces: Chinese commodities, European fairs, Vietnamese entrepreneurs
Authors: MAROUDA MARINA
Published: December 2019

This article is based on ethnographic research undertaken over the course of a year (2017) in three wholesale marketplaces situated in Warsaw (Poland), Odessa (Ukraine) and Yiwu (China). Daily transactions in these wholesale fairs span different continents, linking East Asia to Eastern Europe. Key in assembling such far‐reaching trading networks are Chinese‐made commodities, Vietnamese diasporas and European trade regulations. In this article, I pay particular attention to entrepreneurial Vietnamese as they sojourned to Eastern Europe, originally as part of exchanges that sought to create a ‘socialist ecumene’.
The eastern French Pyrenees: from mountain belt to foreland basin
Authors: Satterfield Dorothy , Rollinson Hugh , Suthren Roger
Published: December 2019

The Pyrenees is a young mountain belt formed as part of the larger Alpine collision zone. This excursion explores the development of the Pyrenean Mountain Belt in southern France, from its early extensional phase in the mid‐Cretaceous and subsequent collisional phase, through its uplift and erosion in the Late Cretaceous and again in the Eocene, which led to the development of the Aquitaine‐Languedoc foreland basin. One of the complexities of the Pyrenean Belt is that thrusting, uplift and erosion during the Pyrenean orogeny exposed older Variscan basement rocks in the central core of the mountains, rocks which were metamorphosed during an earlier event in the late Carboniferous. Thus, this orogenic belt also tells the story of an earlier collision between Laurussia in the north and Gondwana in the south at c. 300 Ma, prior to the onset of the Pyrenean events at c. 100 Ma. Here we seek to unravel these two separate orogenic stories.
Structure and stability of edible oleogels prepared with different unsaturated oils and hydrocolloids
Authors: Bascuas Santiago , Hernando Isabel , Moraga Gemma , Quiles Amparo
Published: December 2019

Edible oleogels, with three oil types (olive, sunflower and flaxseed), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and xanthan gum (XG), as structuring agents, were developed using the emulsion‐template approach, and subsequent drying of the emulsions using conventional or vacuum drying. Our results showed that for both drying methods, well‐structured oleogels were obtained using olive and sunflower oils for the preparation. These oleogels showed oil losses ˂10% after 35 days of storage. However, unstructured non‐homogeneous oleogels were obtained when using flaxseed oil and conventional drying, while it was not feasible to develop flaxseed oleogel with vacuum drying. Oleogels showed interesting rheological properties, including a high oleogel strength with an elastic modulus of the order 104–105 Pa, weak dependence on frequency, and good thermostability. Moreover, high oxidative stability was obtained for olive oil oleogels, using both conventional and vacuum drying, and for sunflower oleogels using vacuum drying. Still, the initial oxidation rates of sunflower oleogels using conventional drying should be improved in future studies.
Determining the local pressure during aerosol deposition using glass memory
Authors: Cicconi Maria Rita , Khansur Neamul H. , Eckstein Udo R. , Werr Ferdinand , Webber Kyle G. , de Ligny Dominique
Published: December 2019

Aerosol deposition (AD) is a dynamic loading process that can be envisioned as a shock wave loading, necessitating the consideration of the elastic/plastic response of solid materials. Due to the dynamic nature of this process, however, experimental determination of the local pressures during the deposition process is difficult. This work addresses this by investigating the compression and subsequent structure modification of a silicate glass after room‐temperature AD on a silicate glass substrate with Raman spectroscopy. Clear structural changes in the short‐ and middle‐range order of the silicate glass were observed, both as intertetrahedral angle distribution and as ring statistic. Therefore, the AD induced permanent densification of the glass, equivalent, in a hydrostatic approximation, to a minimal pressure of 10.5 ± 1.5 GPa during the film deposition process. Furthermore, the analysis of the Nd3+ photoluminescence of the 4F3/2 − 4I9/2 transition provided complementary information on the glass network modifications occurring during film formation. More than a pure hydrostatic densification, the AD seems to present a very intense shear deformation. This work opens up the perspective of evaluating the mechanical response of film‐substrate and of the particles themselves, and provides critical information on the mechanisms responsible for the AD film formation.
Experimental study of bubble formation in a glass‐forming liquid doped with cerium oxide
Authors: Pereira Luiz , Podda Olivier , Fayard Barbara , Laplace Annabelle , Pigeonneau Franck
Published: December 2019

This work aims to study the mechanisms of oxygen bubble formation coming from redox reaction of a polyvalent element incorporated in a glass melt. Borosilicate glass composition is selected for its use as a glass matrix for nuclear waste conditioning. Cerium is selected as a polyvalent element as it may be found in nuclear waste. The chosen material is characterized in terms of physical properties which influence bubble formation and growth. A postmortem optical microscope approach is used to observe bubbles in the investigated material after thermal treatment for varying temperatures (900°C‐1100°C) and durations. To support the understanding of oxygen bubble formation, cerium speciation by X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) and bubble gas composition are experimentally evaluated. In this article, we indicate how bubbles are formed in the investigated glass melt system. It is also demonstrated that the mechanisms that govern bubble evolution are fundamentally the same and that the plot's optimum points are strongly influenced by the temperature. These last statements are confirmed by considering some bubble features, such as bubble mean density and bubble mean diameter evolutions, and normalizing the experimental time using a characteristic residence time (tη) obtaining thereafter a dimensionless time, which is a function of the glass melt properties obtained by the physical characterizations. The impact of temperature and time on bubble formation is described.
Mechanical properties, oxygen barrier property, and chemical stability of RE3NbO7 for thermal barrier coating
Authors: Yang Jun , Pan Wei , Han Yi , Zhao Meng , Huang Muzhang , Wan Chunlei
Published: December 2019

Rare earth niobate (RE3NbO7, RE = Dy, Y, Er, Yb) ceramics have shown extremely low thermal conductivity but remain questionable in high temperature thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications with high thermal, mechanical, and chemical loads. Herein, we comprehensively characterize the properties of rare earth niobates, including mechanical properties, oxygen barrier properties, chemical stability, etc. It is found that the oxygen conductivities of the rare earth niobates are three orders of magnitude lower than 7wt.% yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ), indicating a remarkable oxygen barrier property to avoid oxidation of underlying metallic components. The corrosion resistance of rare earth niobate against calcium‐magnesium‐aluminum silicate (CMAS) is also significantly better than that of YSZ. Together with the extremely low thermal conductivity, the rare earth niobates exhibit a combination of excellent high temperature properties, which may become a promising candidate material of high temperature TBC of next generation gas turbines.
2020 Consensus summary on the management of hypertension in Asia from the HOPE Asia Network
Authors: Kario Kazuomi , Park Sungha , Chia Yook‐Chin , Sukonthasarn Apichard , Turana Yuda , Shin Jinho , Chen Chen‐Huan , Buranakitjaroen Peera , Divinagracia Romeo , Nailes Jennifer , Hoshide Satoshi , Siddique Saulat , Sison Jorge , Soenarta Arieska Ann , Sogunuru Guru Prasad , Tay Jam Chin , Teo Boon Wee , Zhang Yu‐Qing , Van Minh Huynh , Tomitani Naoko , Kabutoya Tomoyuki , Verma Narsingh , Wang Tzung‐Dau , Wang Ji‐Guang
Published: December 2019

Hypertension professionals from Asia have been meeting together for the last decade to discuss how to improve the management of hypertension. Based on these education and research activities, the Hypertension, brain, cardiovascular and renal Outcome Prevention and Evidence in Asia (HOPE Asia) Network was officially established in June 2018 and includes experts from 12 countries/regions across Asia. Among the numerous research and review papers published by members of the HOPE Asia Network since 2017, publications in three key areas provide important guidance on the management of hypertension in Asia. This article highlights key consensus documents, which relate to the Asian characteristics of hypertension, home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM), and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Hypertension and hypertension‐related diseases are common in Asia, and their characteristics differ from those in other populations. It is essential that these are taken into consideration to provide the best opportunity for achieving “perfect 24‐hour blood pressure control”, guided by out‐of‐office (home and ambulatory) blood pressure monitoring. These region‐specific consensus documents should contribute to optimizing individual and population‐based hypertension management strategies in Asian country. In addition, the HOPE Asia Network model provides a good example of the local interpretation, modification, and dissemination of international best practice to benefit specific populations.
Impact of pre‐existing hypertension and control status before atrial fibrillation onset on cardiovascular prognosis in patients with non‐valvular atrial fibrillation: A real‐world database analysis in Japan
Authors: Kario Kazuomi , Abe Toru , Kanegae Hiroshi
Published: December 2019

Hypertension is an important risk factor for non‐valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and its prognosis. However, there is no study to clarify the impact of pre‐existing hypertension and BP control status before the onset of AF on the prognosis after the onset of AF. This retrospective real‐world cohort analysis used data from the Japan Medical Data Center Co., Ltd database. The presence of NVAF and hypertension, plus the occurrence of adverse events, was based on ICD‐10 codes in the database. The primary composite AF‐related cardiovascular event end point included ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and acute myocardial infarction. Of the 21 523 patients identified as having new‐onset NVAF between January 2005 and June 2016, 7885 had blood pressure (BP) data before the onset of NVAF available and were included in the analysis (4001 with pre‐existing hypertension and 3884 without pre‐existing hypertension). The rate of primary composite end point events was 10.3 and 4.4 per 1000 patient‐years in patients with and without hypertension, respectively (P < .001). In addition, lower systolic BP (<120 mm Hg) before the onset of NVAF was associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular events after the development of NVAF (P < .001). This highlights the importance of earlier and tighter 24‐hour BP control before the onset of NVAF in patients with hypertension, not only for reducing the occurrence of new‐onset of NVAF, but also for reducing both hemorrhagic and ischemic cardiovascular events after the onset of NVAF.