bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Autonomy, Efficiency and Effectiveness—Opportunities for Higher Education: A Pilot Study
Authors: Kupriyanova Veronika , Bennetot Pruvot Enora , Estermann Thomas
Published: November 2020

Autonomy and efficiency are among the key topics that dominate the current higher education agenda and will shape the future of the European higher education landscape in the next decade. The capacity of higher education institutions and systems at large to respond to the rapidly changing needs of the society and economy will largely depend on what they can deliver and how autonomous, effective and efficient they are. The paper presents an analytical framework that connects the concepts of institutional autonomy, efficiency and effectiveness and explores the links between efficiency in university management, autonomy and accountability. It builds on (i) EUA’s work on institutional autonomy and the University Autonomy Scorecard, assessing the main components of institutional autonomy, and (ii) the higher education efficiency framework developed by EUA in the framework of the USTREAM project. This paper explores the following questions: (i) What mechanisms connect regulatory frameworks to efficiency in university management? (ii) How can autonomy be converted into efficiency and effectiveness at universities? (iii) How can efficiency support accountability? Methodologically, this paper will follow the four-pillar structure of the Autonomy Scorecard (organisational, financial, staffing and academic autonomy) and support its argumentation with several case studies.
How Do Romanian Universities Promote Their Educational Offer and What Mechanisms Are Used to Attract International Students?
Authors: Fiţ Cristina Ramona
Published: November 2020

Overarching strategies at the European level underline the importance of mobility, thus promoting the higher education offer should be among the key topics that dominate the internationalization agenda in Romania, in the context of a highly competitive market worldwide. The paper highlights the disconnect between the internationalization strategies of Romanian universities and concrete measures undertaken to promote their educational offer. The paper includes a short analysis of how HEIs promote their study offer internationally, using three Romanian universities as case studies. Starting from a review of institutional internationalization strategies, strategic plans for institutional development and methods and instruments used to promote their educational offer, the article also includes the analysis and conclusions of a questionnaire, highlighting the most popular promotional mechanisms used to attract international students. Conclusions show that HEIs perceive as the most effective promotional tools, i.e. the English website, word of mouth, participation at International Education Fairs, promotion via other portals. Despite international trends, social media is still not deemed essential to advertise their educational offer to international students.
Bologna Process in the Global Higher Education Arena. Going Digital?
Authors: Orr Dominic
Published: November 2020

The Bologna Process has always been about seeing higher education within a national and a global context. This accounts for the 48 member countries of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which send their ministers responsible for higher education to the ministerial conferences every two to three years and send their high-level civil servants and national representatives into the many working group meetings.
Distant Partners: A Case Study of Global Virtual Teams Between Spain and South Korea
Authors: Planells-Artigot Enrique , Moll-Lopez Santiago
Published: November 2020

Global Virtual Teams (GVT) among higher education institutions stand as a powerful tool of extending internationalization techniques as well as improving collaborative learning and transversal competencies. This study stems from the belief that using these channels allows students to establish connections and strengthen their confidence in networking for professional purposes. Furthermore, it describes a collaborative project involving undergraduate students of 23 different nationalities in two different business schools located in Spain and South Korea (n = 109; 61 in Spain and 48 in South Korea). The courses in both universities had similar learning objectives focused on the development of written and oral communication skills in a business environment. Through a series of semi-monitored activities and questionnaires, the vast majority of students expressed a strong satisfaction with their own achievements during the course including teamwork, learning how to deal with cultural differences, improving communication skills and problem-solving strategies. This case study contributes to a broader understanding of virtual exchange activities in higher education in different cultural contexts in terms of the types of activities engaged, the perceived value and learning outcomes as well as shared challenges. This understanding will help define common strategies in the practice of virtual exchange and to achieve greater integration within university curricula. Virtual exchange activities contribute not only to the improvement of students’ language and digital skills but to other transversal competencies such as problem-solving and teamwork, which seem to be gaining importance in an increasingly complex and competitive world of global connections.
Digital Humanities as an Incentive for Digitalisation Strategies in Eastern European HEIs: A Case Study of Romania
Authors: Chitez Mădălina , Rogobete Roxana , Foitoş Alexandru
Published: November 2020

The modern university has the potential to turn into a nexus of digital embracement and innovation, thus responding to both strategic planning for higher education and societal demands. Priorities in digitalisation strategies (White Paper ‘Bologna Digital 2020’, Rampelt et al. 2019) for higher education institutions (HEIs) are actively promoted, and their implementation is in progress throughout Europe. However, the embedding of the digitalisation reform at the institutional level is considerably uneven from one country to another, with Eastern European HEIs lagging behind (Conrads et al. 2017). The aim of this position paper is to present and discuss the case of digital humanities (DH) as an incentive for digitalisation strategies at Eastern European universities. We briefly contextualize the configuration of DH initiatives in the region by using the results of the Digital Humanities Survey and propose the case study of Romania, where we investigate the implementation status of such initiatives. We further exemplify the process of developing a DH centre and evaluate the institutional impact of the recently created research centre CODHUS, from the West University of Timişoara, Romania, the second DH centre in the country. The strength of the new centre relies on its capacity to converge cross-disciplinary expertise with digital technologies. The centre intends to develop computational solutions and digital tools for research, course development and assessment. CODHUS is also a digital-competence training centre for teachers and students, with the purpose of bridging the gap between teaching strategies and goals, on one hand, and students’ digital experiences and expectations from HEI, on the other. The study offers a multiple-lens perspective on the integration of digital-intensive research initiatives, such as DH, into the Bologna process. We argue that DH centres can support further HE developments which contribute to building “new learning ecologies” (Galvis 2018) and creating an “education area with digital solutions” (Rampelt 2019).
“Bologna Digital”—Actively Shaping the Digital Transformation in European Higher Education
Authors: Orr Dominic , Rampelt Florian , Knoth Alexander
Published: November 2020

Digital transformation will impact the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and could contribute to developing a new vision for the Bologna Process and for higher education in Europe and beyond. In recent years, research on European and national levels has shown increasing attention being paid to digitalisation and digital transformation by higher education leadership. The 2015 and 2018 Ministerial Communiqués also clearly emphasised the importance of the topic for the EHEA. Yet, a strategic integration of digitalisation into higher education policy and practice remains hard to find. This is for two main reasons: (1) because although digitalisation is often seen as a technical innovation, it must, in fact, be a social innovation for it to have any impact and (2) because higher education as a field of practice, especially in Europe, is a multi-layered system where strategic impact is only possible if all layers are broadly following the same objectives. With reference to policy theory, the authors conjectured that reducing goal conflict and practice ambiguity would help to facilitate a more integrative digital policy and practice. With this aim, the authors launched a White Paper in 2019 to facilitate broad agreement on the potential of digitalisation within the Bologna framework. This contribution provides an interim evaluation of the initiative and its next steps. In this, it provides a reflexive review of how practitioners and researchers in the field might hope to influence policymaking and practice in the area of digitalisation.
“Lagrangian disks” in M-theory
Authors: Franco Sebastían , Gukov Sergei , Lee Sangmin , Seong Rak-Kyeong , Sparks James
Published: November 2020

Abstract

While the study of bordered (pseudo-)holomorphic curves with boundary on Lagrangian submanifolds has a long history, a similar problem that involves (special) Lagrangian submanifolds with boundary on complex surfaces appears to be largely overlooked in both physics and math literature. We relate this problem to geometry of coassociative submanifolds in G2 holonomy spaces and to Spin(7) metrics on 8-manifolds with T2 fibrations. As an application to physics, we propose a large class of brane models in type IIA string theory that generalize brane brick models on the one hand and 2d theories T[M4] on the other.
Gravitational Cardy limit and AdS black hole entropy
Authors: David Marina , Nian Jun , Pando Zayas Leopoldo A.
Published: November 2020

Abstract

We explore the gravitational implementation of the field theory Cardy-like limit recently used in the successful microstate countings of AdS black hole entropy in various dimensions. On the field theory side, the Cardy-like limit focuses on a particular scaling of conserved electric charges and angular momenta and we first translate this scaling to the gravitational side by a limiting procedure on the black hole parameters. We note that the scaling naturally accompanies a near-horizon region for which these black hole solutions are greatly simplified. Applying the Kerr/CFT correspondence to the near-horizon region, we precisely reproduce the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of asymptotically AdS4,5,6,7 BPS black holes. Our results explicitly provide a microscopic and universal low energy description for AdS black holes across various dimensions.
Very rapid multi-odour discrimination learning in the ant Lasius niger
Authors: Czaczkes T. J. , Kumar P.
Published: November 2020

Insects can be very good learners. For example, they can form associations between a cue and a reward after only one exposure. Discrimination learning, in which multiple cues are associated with different outcomes, is critical for responding correctly complex environments. However, the extent of such discrimination learning is not well explored. Studies concerning discrimination learning within one valence are also rare. Here we ask whether Lasius niger ants can form multiple concurrent associations to different reward levels, and how rapidly such associations can be learned. We allowed individual workers to sequentially feed on up to four different food qualities, each associated with a different odour cue. Using pairwise preference tests, we found that ants can successfully learn at least two, and likely three, odour/quality associations, requiring as little as one exposure to each combination in order for learning to take place. By testing preference between two non-extreme values (i.e. between 0.4 M and 0.8 M having been trained to the qualities 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6) we exclude the possibility that ants are only memorising the best and worst values in a set. Such rapid learning of multiple associations, within one valence and one modality, is impressive, and makes Lasius niger a very tractable model for complex training paradigms.
Underdiagnosis and diagnostic delay in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Authors: Chaudhary Umair J. , Rajabally Yusuf A.
Published: November 2020

Background

The frequency and causes of underdiagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) are uncertain. We aimed to assess the frequency and electroclinical features of pre-referral CIDP underdiagnosis and the duration of delay prior to diagnosis and treatment initiation in a tertiary specialist clinic.

Methods

We retrospectively investigated 60 consecutive patients attending our Inflammatory Neuropathy Service, between 2015 and 2019, with a final diagnosis of treatment-responsive definite/probable CIDP. We reviewed the clinical and electrophysiological data in light of European Federation of Neurological Societies/Peripheral Nerve Society (EFNS/PNS) guidelines and determined the frequency, causes and delay in diagnosis of CIDP.

Results

An initial alternative diagnosis to that of CIDP had been made in 68.3% (41/60) of patients. The commonest alternative diagnosis was of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) in 23.3% (14/60) patients. Non-GBS underdiagnoses (27/60; 45%) mainly consisted of genetic neuropathy (8/27; 29.6%), diabetic neuropathy (5/27; 18.5%) and chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy (4/27; 14.8%). Non-GBS underdiagnoses were predominantly due to non-recognition of proximal weakness (70.4%), multifocal deficits (18.5%) or proprioceptive loss (7.4%). Electrophysiological misinterpretation was contributory to pre-referral non-GBS underdiagnoses of CIDP in 85% of patients. Mean diagnostic delay in patients with non-GBS underdiagnoses of CIDP was of 21.3 months (range 2–132 months).

Conclusion

Underdiagnosis of CIDP is frequent and may lead to significant diagnostic and treatment delay. We suggest that lack of comprehensive and precise attention to typical electroclinical features of CIDP and its diagnostic criteria at the time of initial evaluation are equally contributory to underdiagnoses.
Size effects of mechanical metamaterials: a computational study based on a second-order asymptotic homogenization method
Authors: Yang Hua , Müller Wolfgang H.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, size effects exhibited by mechanical metamaterials have been studied. When the sizescale of the metamaterials is reduced, stiffening or softening responses are observed in experiments. In order to capture both the stiffening and softening size effects fully, a second-order asymptotic homogenization method based on strain gradient theory is used. By this method, the metamaterials are homogenized and become effective strain gradient continua. The effective metamaterial parameters including the classical and strain gradient stiffness tensors are calculated. Comparisons between a detailed finite element analysis and the effective strain gradient continua model have been made for metamaterials under different boundary conditions, different aspect ratios, different unit cells (closed or open cells) and different topologies. It shows that both stiffening and softening size effects can be captured by using the effective strain gradient continua models.
The genome of Ricinus communis encodes a single glycolate oxidase with different functions in photosynthetic and heterotrophic organs
Authors: Schmitz Jessica , Hüdig Meike , Meier Dieter , Linka Nicole , Maurino Veronica G.
Published: November 2020

Main conclusion

The biochemical characterization of glycolate oxidase in Ricinus communis hints to different physiological functions of the enzyme depending on the organ in which it is active.

Enzymatic activities of the photorespiratory pathway are not restricted to green tissues but are present also in heterotrophic organs. High glycolate oxidase (GOX) activity was detected in the endosperm of Ricinus communis. Phylogenetic analysis of the Ricinus l-2-hydroxy acid oxidase (Rc(l)-2-HAOX) family indicated that Rc(l)-2-HAOX1 to Rc(l)-2-HAOX3 cluster with the group containing streptophyte long-chain 2-hydroxy acid oxidases, whereas Rc(l)-2-HAOX4 clusters with the group containing streptophyte GOX. Rc(l)-2-HAOX4 is the closest relative to the photorespiratory GOX genes of Arabidopsis. We obtained Rc(l)-2-HAOX4 as a recombinant protein and analyze its kinetic properties in comparison to the Arabidopsis photorespiratory GOX. We also analyzed the expression of all Rc(l)-2-HAOXs and conducted metabolite profiling of different Ricinus organs. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Rc(l)-2-HAOX4 is the only GOX encoded in the Ricinus genome (RcGOX). RcGOX has properties resembling those of the photorespiratory GOX of Arabidopsis. We found that glycolate, the substrate of GOX, is highly abundant in non-green tissues, such as roots, embryo of germinating seeds and dry seeds. We propose that RcGOX fulfills different physiological functions depending on the organ in which it is active. In autotrophic organs it oxidizes glycolate into glyoxylate as part of the photorespiratory pathway. In fast growing heterotrophic organs, it is most probably involved in the production of serine to feed the folate pathway for special demands of those tissues.
Multi-center real-world comparison of the fully automated Idylla™ microsatellite instability assay with routine molecular methods and immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue of colorectal cancer
Authors: Velasco Ana , Tokat Fatma , Bonde Jesper , Trim Nicola , Bauer Elisabeth , Meeney Adam , de Leng Wendy , Chong George , Dalstein Véronique , Kis Lorand L. , Lorentzen Jon A. , Tomić Snjezana , Thwaites Keeley , Putzová Martina , Birnbaum Astrid , Qazi Romena , Primmer Vanessa , Dockhorn-Dworniczak Barbara , Hernández-Losa Javier , Soares Fernando A. , Gertler Asaf A. , Kalman Michal , Wong Chris , Carraro Dirce M. , Sousa Ana C. , Reis Rui M. , Fox Stephen B. , Fassan Matteo , Brevet Marie , Merkelbach-Bruse Sabine , Colling Richard , Soilleux Elizabeth , Teo Ryan Yee Wei , D’Haene Nicky , Nolet Serge , Ristimäki Ari , Väisänen Timo , Chapusot Caroline , Soruri Afsaneh , Unger Tina , Wecgowiec Johanna , Biscuola Michele , Frattini Milo , Long Anna , Campregher Paulo V , Matias-Guiu Xavier
Published: November 2020

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is present in 15–20% of primary colorectal cancers. MSI status is assessed to detect Lynch syndrome, guide adjuvant chemotherapy, determine prognosis, and use as a companion test for checkpoint blockade inhibitors. Traditionally, MSI status is determined by immunohistochemistry or molecular methods. The Idylla™ MSI Assay is a fully automated molecular method (including automated result interpretation), using seven novel MSI biomarkers (ACVR2A, BTBD7, DIDO1, MRE11, RYR3, SEC31A, SULF2) and not requiring matched normal tissue. In this real-world global study, 44 clinical centers performed Idylla™ testing on a total of 1301 archived colorectal cancer formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections and compared Idylla™ results against available results from routine diagnostic testing in those sites. MSI mutations detected with the Idylla™ MSI Assay were equally distributed over the seven biomarkers, and 84.48% of the MSI-high samples had ≥ 5 mutated biomarkers, while 98.25% of the microsatellite-stable samples had zero mutated biomarkers. The concordance level between the Idylla™ MSI Assay and immunohistochemistry was 96.39% (988/1025); 17/37 discordant samples were found to be concordant when a third method was used. Compared with routine molecular methods, the concordance level was 98.01% (789/805); third-method analysis found concordance for 8/16 discordant samples. The failure rate of the Idylla™ MSI Assay (0.23%; 3/1301) was lower than that of referenced immunohistochemistry (4.37%; 47/1075) or molecular assays (0.86%; 7/812). In conclusion, lower failure rates and high concordance levels were found between the Idylla™ MSI Assay and routine tests.
Molecular variation among virulent and avirulent strains of the quarantine nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
Authors: Filipiak Anna , Malewski Tadeusz , Matczyńska Ewa , Tomalak Marek
Published: November 2020

Bursaphelenchus xylophilusis an emerging pathogenic nematode that is responsible for a devastating epidemic of pine wilt disease worldwide, causing severe ecological damage and economic losses to forestry. Two forms of this nematode have been reported, i.e., with strong and weak virulence, commonly referred as virulent and avirulent strains. However, the pathogenicity-related genes ofB. xylophilusare not sufficiently characterized. In this study, to find pathogenesis related genes we re-sequenced and compared genomes of two virulent and two avirulent populations. We identified genes affected by genomic variation, and functional annotation of those genes indicated that some of them might play potential roles in pathogenesis. The performed analysis showed that both avirulent populations differed from the virulent ones by 1576 genes with high impact variants. Demonstration of genetic differences between virulent and avirulent strains will provide effective methods to distinguish these two nematode virulence forms at the molecular level. The reported results provide basic information that can facilitate development of a better diagnosis forB. xylophilusisolates/strains which present different levels of virulence and better understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in the development of the PWD.
Das Sekundärressourcenpotenzial aus Windkraft- und Photovoltaikanlagen
Authors: Scherhaufer Silvia , Part Florian , Beigl Peter
Published: November 2020

Bis 2040 soll die Stromversorgung in Österreich laut aktuellem Regierungsprogramm klimaneutral sein und somit zu 100 % aus erneuerbarer Energie erfolgen. Dieses Ziel ist mit großen Ambitionen im Ausbau der Anlagen zur Erzeugung von erneuerbarer Energie, vor allem im Bereich der Photovoltaik und Windkraft, verbunden. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, den zu erwartenden, stark ansteigenden Materialeinsatz für neue und bestehende Windkraftanlagen (WKA) und Photovoltaikanlagen (PVA) bis zum Jahr 2050 darzustellen, das Potenzial an Sekundärressourcen abzuschätzen und Wege zur Wiederverwendung und möglichst hochwertigen Verwertung aufzuzeigen. Hierfür wurden der Anlagenbestand und die verwertbaren Sekundärressourcen auf Basis von makroökonomischer Modellierung des österreichischen Energiesystems und marktmixbasierten Materialflussanalysen von WKA und PVA (auf Bauteilebene) bilanziert. Beim Bau der Anlagen zeigt sich die Massenrelevanz von Silizium und Glas bei PVA bzw. Beton und Stahl für Fundamente für WKA, wobei im Zeitraum von 2020 bis 2030 mit einer Steigerung des Rohstoffeinsatzes um den Faktor 5 zu rechnen ist. Weiters enthalten elektrische und elektronische Bauteile bedeutende Mengen an Metallen (Fe, Cu, Al), Edelmetallen (Au, Ag) sowie Sondermetallen, wie Tantal in Kondensatoren oder Neodym in Magneten. Ein Vergleich nach zwei Recyclingszenarien mit derzeitiger Ausrichtung und hochwertigem Recycling zeigt, dass bei PVA für Glas, Silizium und Silber bzw. bei WKA bei Kupfer, Edelmetallen und glas- und carbonfaserverstärkten Kunststoffen Rückgewinnungsraten deutlich gesteigert werden können. Aufgrund der anfallenden Mengen und Qualitäten an potenziellen Sekundärressourcen, die in den nächsten Jahrzehnten in den abgebauten Anlagen enthalten sein werden, müssen optimierte Verwertungswege geschaffen werden, damit die Ressourcen auch in der Praxis im Kreislauf geführt werden können.
Structured ICU resource management in a pandemic is associated with favorable outcome in critically ill COVID‑19 patients
Authors: Klein Sebastian J. , Bellmann Romuald , Dejaco Hannes , Eschertzhuber Stephan , Fries Dietmar , Furtwängler Wilhelm , Gasteiger Lukas , Hasibeder Walter , Helbok Raimund , Hochhold Christoph , Hofer Stefanie , Kirchmair Lukas , Krismer Christoph , Ladner Eugen , Lehner Georg F. , Mathis Simon , Mayr Andreas , Mittermayr Markus , Peer Andreas , Preuß Hernández Christian , Reitter Bruno , Ströhle Mathias , Swoboda Michael , Thomé Claudius , Joannidis Michael
Published: November 2020

Introduction

On February 25, 2020, the first 2 patients were tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‑2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Tyrol, Austria. Rapid measures were taken to ensure adequate intensive care unit (ICU) preparedness for a surge of critically ill coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients.

Methods

This cohort study included all COVID-19 patients admitted to an ICU with confirmed or strongly suspected COVID-19 in the State of Tyrol, Austria. Patients were recorded in the Tyrolean COVID-19 intensive care registry. Date of final follow-up was July 17, 2020.

Results

A total of 106 critically ill patients with COVID-19 were admitted to 1 of 13 ICUs in Tyrol from March 9 to July 17, 2020. Median age was 64 years (interquartile range, IQR 54–74 years) and the majority of patients were male (76 patients, 71.7%). Median simplified acute physiology score III (SAPS III) was 56 points (IQR 49–64 points). The median duration from appearance of first symptoms to ICU admission was 8 days (IQR 5–11 days).

Invasive mechanical ventilation was required in 72 patients (67.9%) and 6 patients (5.6%) required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment. Renal replacement therapy was necessary in 21 patients (19.8%). Median ICU length of stay (LOS) was 18 days (IQR 5–31 days), median hospital LOS was 27 days (IQR 13–49 days).

The ICU mortality was 21.7% (23 patients), hospital mortality was 22.6%. There was no significant difference in ICU mortality in patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and in those not receiving it (18.1% vs. 29.4%, p = 0.284). As of July 17th, 2020, two patients are still hospitalized, one in an ICU, one on a general ward.

Conclusion

Critically ill COVID-19 patients in Tyrol showed high severity of disease often requiring complex treatment with increased lengths of ICU and hospital stay. Nevertheless, the mortality was found to be remarkably low, which may be attributed to our adaptive surge response providing sufficient ICU resources.
Using GNSS radio occultation data to derive critical frequencies of the ionospheric sporadic E layer in real time
Authors: Yu Bingkun , Scott Christopher J. , Xue Xianghui , Yue Xinan , Dou Xiankang
Published: November 2020

The small-scale electron density irregularities in the ionosphere have a significant impact on the interruptions of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) navigation and the accuracy of GNSS positioning techniques. The sporadic ionospheric E (Es) layer significantly contributes to the transient interruptions of signals (loss of lock) for GNSS tracking loops. These effects on the GNSS radio occultation (RO) signals can be used to derive the global location and intensity of Es layers as a complement to ground-based observations. Here we conduct statistical analyses of the intensity of Es layers, based on the scintillation index S4max from the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC during the period 2006–2014. In comparison with simultaneous observations from an ionosonde network of five low-to-middle latitude ionosondes, the S4max indices from COSMIC, especially the small values, are linearly related to the critical frequency of Es layers (foEs). An accumulated period of less than 1 h is required to derive the short-term variations in real-time ionospheric Es layers. A total of 30.22%, 69.57% and 98.13% coincident hourly foEs values have a relative difference less than 10%, 30% and 100%. Overall, the GNSS RO measurements have the potential to provide accurate hourly observations of Es layers. Observations with S4max < 0.4 (foEs < 3.6 MHz), accounting for 66% of COSMIC S4 measurements, have not been used fully previously, as they are not easily visible in ground-based ionosonde data.
Late Pennsylvanian carbonate platform facies and coral reef: new insights from southern China (Guizhou Province)
Authors: Maillet Marine , Huang Wen-Tao , Li Xiao , Yang Zhen-Yuan , Guan Chang-Qing , Zhang Yong-Li , Gong En-Pu , Ueno Katsumi , Samankassou Elias
Published: November 2020

The Pennsylvanian is characterized by intense paleoenvironmental changes related to glacio-eustatic sea-level fluctuations and major tectonic events, which affected the evolution of biocommunities. Most known Pennsylvanian tropical reefs and mounds are predominantly composed of calcareous algae (e.g. phylloid algae,Archaeolithophyllum), calcareous sponges, fenestrate bryozoans,Tubiphytes, and microbialites. However, in Houchang (southern China), the Late Pennsylvanian carbonate platform records a large coral reef lacking any analogs in age (Gzhelian), size (80–100 m thick) and composition (high biodiversity). The large coral reef developed at the border of the Luodian intraplatform basin. The intraplatform basin is characterized by the deposition of green algal grainstone, coated grain grainstone and bioclastic packstone, grainstone, floatstone and rudstone in shallow-waters. In the deep-water shelf, lithofacies are composed of burrowed bioclastic wackestone, microbioclastic peloidal packstone, grainstone, and fine-grained burrowed wackestone and packstone. In this context, the coral reef developed on a deep-shelf margin, in a moderate to low energy depositional environment, below the FWWB. The scarcity of Pennsylvanian coral reefs suggests global unfavorable conditions, which can be attributed to a complex pattern of several environmental factors, including seawater chemistry (aragonite seas), paleoclimatic cooling related to continental glaciation, and the biological competition with the more opportunistic and adaptive phylloid algal community that occupied similar platform margin paleoenvironments. The existence of the large Bianping coral reef in southern China, as well as a few additional examples of Pennsylvanian coralliferous bioconstructions, provides evidence that coral communities were able to endure the Late Paleozoic fluctuating paleoenvironmental conditions in specific settings. One of such settings appears to have been the deep shelf margin, where low light levels decreased competition with the phylloid algal community.
Nivolumab versus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a subgroup analysis of a multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial (ATTRACTION-3)
Authors: Takahashi Masanobu , Kato Ken , Okada Morihito , Chin Keisho , Kadowaki Shigenori , Hamamoto Yasuo , Doki Yuichiro , Kubota Yutaro , Kawakami Hisato , Ogata Takashi , Hara Hiroki , Muto Manabu , Nakashima Yuichiro , Ishihara Ryu , Tsuda Masahiro , Motoyama Satoru , Kodani Mamoru , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: November 2020

Background

The efficacy and safety of nivolumab versus chemotherapy was evaluated in the Japanese subpopulation from the overall intent-to-treat (ITT) population of the ATTRACTION-3 trial conducted in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as second-line treatment.

Methods

Data from Japanese patients enrolled in the multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase 3 ATTRACTION-3 trial were analyzed. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DOR), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety. Exploratory subgroup analyses evaluated the association between OS and stratification factors/baseline variables.

Results

Overall, 274 (nivolumab, 136; chemotherapy, 138) of the 419 patients in ATTRACTION-3 were enrolled from Japan: response-evaluable population (107; 108) and safety population (135; 138). OS tended to be longer in the nivolumab group versus the chemotherapy group (median: 13.4 months vs. 9.4 months; HR, 0.77; 95% CI 0.59–1.01). Median DOR was longer in the nivolumab group (7.6 months) versus the chemotherapy group (3.6 months). ORRs were similar between the nivolumab [22.4% of patients (24/107)] and chemotherapy groups [22.2% (24/108); odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI 0.52–1.87]. DCR was lower in the nivolumab group [41.1% (44/107)] versus the chemotherapy group [66.7% (72/108)]. OS in the exploratory analysis consistently favored the nivolumab group versus the chemotherapy group. Overall, nivolumab demonstrated favorable efficacy and safety versus chemotherapy in the Japanese subpopulation, and the trend was similar to that observed in the overall ATTRACTION-3 ITT population.

Conclusion

Nivolumab represents a new standard second-line treatment option for Japanese patients with advanced ESCC.
Comparison of two model calibration approaches and their influence on future projections under climate change in the Upper Indus Basin
Authors: Ismail Muhammad Fraz , Naz Bibi S. , Wortmann Michel , Disse Markus , Bowling Laura C. , Bogacki Wolfgang
Published: November 2020

This study performs a comparison of two model calibration/validation approaches and their influence on future hydrological projections under climate change by employing two climate scenarios (RCP2.6 and 8.5) projected by four global climate models. Two hydrological models (HMs), snowmelt runoff model + glaciers and variable infiltration capacity model coupled with a glacier model, were used to simulate streamflow in the highly snow and glacier melt–driven Upper Indus Basin. In the first (conventional) calibration approach, the models were calibrated only at the basin outlet, while in the second (enhanced) approach intermediate gauges, different climate conditions and glacier mass balance were considered. Using the conventional and enhanced calibration approaches, the monthly Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) for both HMs ranged from 0.71 to 0.93 and 0.79 to 0.90 in the calibration, while 0.57–0.92 and 0.54–0.83 in the validation periods, respectively. For the future impact assessment, comparison of differences based on the two calibration/validation methods at the annual scale (i.e. 2011–2099) shows small to moderate differences of up to 10%, whereas differences at the monthly scale reached up to 19% in the cold months (i.e. October–March) for the far future period. Comparison of sources of uncertainty using analysis of variance showed that the contribution of HM parameter uncertainty to the overall uncertainty is becoming very small by the end of the century using the enhanced approach. This indicates that enhanced approach could potentially help to reduce uncertainties in the hydrological projections when compared to the conventional calibration approach.
Mining explainable local and global subgraph patterns with surprising densities
Authors: Deng Junning , Kang Bo , Lijffijt Jefrey , De Bie Tijl
Published: November 2020

The connectivity structure of graphs is typically related to the attributes of the vertices. In social networks for example, the probability of a friendship between any pair of people depends on a range of attributes, such as their age, residence location, workplace, and hobbies. The high-level structure of a graph can thus possibly be described well by means of patterns of the form ‘the subgroup of all individuals with certain properties X are often (or rarely) friends with individuals in another subgroup defined by properties Y’, ideally relative to their expected connectivity. Such rules present potentially actionable and generalizable insight into the graph. Prior work has already considered the search for dense subgraphs (‘communities’) with homogeneous attributes. The first contribution in this paper is to generalize this type of pattern to densities between apair of subgroups, as well as betweenall pairs from a set of subgroups that partition the vertices. Second, we develop a novel information-theoretic approach for quantifying the subjective interestingness of such patterns, by contrasting them with prior information an analyst may have about the graph’s connectivity. We demonstrate empirically that in the special case of dense subgraphs, this approach yields results that are superior to the state-of-the-art. Finally, we propose algorithms for efficiently finding interesting patterns of these different types.
Exposure and health risk assessment of nitrate contamination in groundwater in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts in Tamil Nadu, South India
Authors: Pazhuparambil Jayarajan Sajil Kumar , Kuriachan Lemoon
Published: November 2020

Anthropogenic factors are contaminating crystalline aquifers more rapidly than natural sources and affecting human health in many states in India. Since a large population depends on untreated groundwater, identifying the sources of this contamination and assessing the related human health risk are essential to ensure a good-quality water supply. Nitrate is one of the most widespread means of groundwater contamination in many parts of India. Coimbatore and Tirupur districts are the most rapidly growing industrial urban areas in southern India. This paper deals with nitrate contamination and possible health risks for children and adults in the Coimbatore and Tirupur districts based on 93 groundwater samples. To achieve this goal, classical hydrochemical and deterministic hazard identification methods coupled with spatial mapping technologies were applied. A wide variation in nitrate concentration, between 1 and 415 mg/L, was observed, with 37% of the samples exceeding the WHO permissible limit of 50 mg/L. The distinct concentrations of nitrate and other ions observed spatially can be attributed to the diverse geochemical and land use settings in the study area. The bivariate plots of NO3 with other ions suggested that the principal origin of nitrate in this study is related to the excess application of fertilizers and sewages. The spatial variation of NO3, in comparison with the land use map, confirmed these results. The values of hazard quotient (HQ) via ingestion exceeded the critical value, one in 40% in males, 42% in females, and 45% in children. However, HQ values via oral pathways are within one and pose no exposure risk. Thus, the hazard index corresponds to HQingestion only. The health risk was in the increasing order of male>female>children, and shows that body weight is the most critical factor that is influencing the health impact to children as compared to adults. The spatial variation of hazard index values showed that groundwater quality is highly polluted with NO3 in the north and northeastern parts of the study area, mainly due to intensive agricultural practices, and poses critical health concerns. Considering the increasing population and higher dependencies on groundwater, immediate and sufficient measures are proposed.
What It Takes to Be a Pioneer: Ability Expectations From Brain-Computer Interface Users
Authors: Kögel Johannes , Wolbring Gregor
Published: November 2020

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are envisioned to enable new abilities of action. This potential can be fruitful in particular when it comes to restoring lost motion or communication abilities or to implementing new possibilities of action. However, BCIs do not come without presuppositions. Applying the concept of ability expectations to BCIs, a wide range of requirements on the side of the users becomes apparent. We examined these ability expectations by taking the example of therapeutic BCI users who got enrolled into BCI research studies due to particular physical conditions. Some of the expectations identified are quite explicit, like particular physical conditions and BCI “literacy”. Other expectations are more implicit, such as motivation, a high level of concentration, pain tolerance, emotion control and resources. These expectations may produce a conception of the human and a self-understanding among BCI users that objectify the body in favour of a brain-centred, cerebral notion of the subject which also plays its part in upholding a normality regime.
Entwicklung des zivilgesellschaftlichen Engagements im Jugend- und jungen Erwachsenenalter
Authors: Kuger Susanne , Gille Martina
Published: November 2020

Politische Involviertheit und aktive Beteiligung im Ehrenamt werden beide als zentrale Säulen zivilgesellschaftlichen Engagements betrachtet. Zu beiden Konstrukten liegen differenzielle Befunde für zentrale Personenmerkmale vor, die mehrheitlich auf der Analyse querschnittlicher Daten beruhen, sowie nur wenige Belege zur Stabilität über die Lebensspanne. Die Jugend und das junge Erwachsenenalter werden als kritische Phasen für die Entwicklung und Aufrechterhaltung beider Konstrukte angesehen, obwohl bislang nur für Teilabschnitte empirische Belege vorliegen und keine Studien zur Untersuchung des komplexen gegenseitigen Bedingungsgefüges. Sowohl die (differenzielle) Stabilität als auch die wechselseitige Abhängigkeit der beiden Konstruktbereiche im Entwicklungsverlauf von der frühen Jugend bis ins Erwachsenenalter hinein werden anhand der AID:A Daten untersucht. Die Ergebnisse von Strukturgleichungsmodellen belegen unterschiedliche, auch nicht-lineare Veränderungsprozesse für drei Teilbereiche, das Interesse an Politik, die Wichtigkeit des Lebensbereichs Politik und das ehrenamtliche Engagement. Das Geschlecht, das Alter und die Bildung der Personen sowie ausgewählte allgemeine Wertorientierungen stellen sich als relevante Kovariaten in den latenten Wachstumskurvenmodellen und dem autoregressiven Modell heraus.
Does media use before bedtime affect the sleep of psychosomatic rehabilitation patients?
Authors: Faber Jasmin , Steinbrecher-Hocke Indra , Bommersbach Peter , Schlarb Angelika A.
Published: November 2020

Objective

Media use can affect sleep. However, research regarding various populations is sparse. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between media use directly before bedtime and various sleep parameters in patients of a psychosomatic rehabilitation clinic.

Methods

Patients from a German psychosomatic rehabilitation clinic were tested regarding subjective sleep quality and insomnia symptoms based on questionnaires such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Eligible patients also completed an additional sleep log over a period of 1 week. A total of 347 insomnia patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 49.77 years (range 22–64 years; median = 52 years). 57.5% of the patients were 50 years or older.

Results

Analysis showed that media use and various sleep diary parameters such as total sleep time (r = −0.386, p = 0.042; rTST2 = 0.149) and sleep efficiency (r = −0.507, p = 0.006; rSE2 = 0.257) were significantly associated. In detail, more media consumption was associated with less total sleep time and a lower sleep efficiency. The same result was found for media use and sleep efficiency on weekdays (r = −0.544, p = 0.002; rSE2 = 0.296), but not for other sleep parameters. However, media use time and subjective sleep quality were not significantly correlated, r = −0.055, p = 0.768.

Conclusion

This study, which is the first to examine the relation between media use and sleep in patients of a psychosomatic rehabilitation clinic, suggests a significant association between media use and sleep duration as well as sleep efficiency. However, more research is needed to investigate the relationship between media use and sleep in more detail, to increase patients’ quality of life and to incorporate these findings into the daily life of clinicians and therapists as well as into sleep hygiene education and sleep trainings.
Personality Disorders in Time of Pandemic
Authors: Preti Emanuele , Di Pierro Rossella , Fanti Erika , Madeddu Fabio , Calati Raffaella
Published: November 2020

Purpose of Review

We report evidence on the negative psychological effects of pandemics in people with personality disorders (PDs) and on the role of personality pathology in compliance with mitigation-related behaviors. Considering the paucity of studies, after a description of the main features of PDs, on the basis of the current literature on pandemic and quarantine mental health impact, we trace some clinical hypotheses.

Recent Findings

Paranoid traits and detachment (cluster A) might lead to worse psychological outcomes. Cluster B patients may show more intense stress-related reactions and react strongly to social distancing, especially considering borderline personality disorder. Cluster C patients might be particularly prone to anxiety and stress due to fear of contagion and may be less flexible in adaptation to new routines. Evidence on compliance with mitigation measures is mixed, with lower compliance in cluster B patients and higher in cluster C ones.

We suggest that PD patients might be particularly affected by pandemics. Furthermore, they might react differently, according to their main diagnosis. Similarly, compliance with mitigation measures may differ according to specific PDs. Our results should be considered as a starting point to reflect on therapeutic strategies to be adopted in the post-COVID-19 situation.
Primary evaluation of an air-cooling device to reduce oral mucositis: a pilot study in healthy volunteers
Authors: Blacker C. , Kamsvåg T. , Bejhed R. S. , Ljungman G.
Published: November 2020

Oral mucositis is a common side effect of chemo and radiotherapy causing painful ulcers in the oral mucosa. One of the preventive treatments recommended in international guidelines is oral cryotherapy (OC). Randomized clinical trials on OC have used ice and ice-chips to cool the mouth, but this cooling method can be difficult for the patients to tolerate. Studies have shown that OC with ice for a period of 60 min reduces the oral temperature by 12.9 °C. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the temperature reduction and tolerability of OC using an intra-oral air-cooling (IOAC) device in healthy volunteers. Twelve healthy volunteers, mean age 35.4 years, were included in the study. They were treated with OC using the IOAC device for 60 min. Measurements of temperature were obtained at baseline, 5 and 60 min using a FLIR® C2 camera. After the OC session, tolerability and adverse events were documented using a questionnaire. All participants were able to use the device for 60 min. The overall temperature reduction after 5 min of OC was 10.7°C (p < 0.01) and after 60 min 14.5°C (p < 0.01). The most common adverse events were bad fit of the mouthpiece (n = 6), hypersalivation (n = 6), and difficulties swallowing (n = 5). The oral device reduced the temperature of the oral mucosa as much as treatment with ice with tolerable adverse events. The mouthpiece will be remodeled to improve tolerability before further studies are conducted.