bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Movement Dynamics and Survival of Stocked Colorado River Cutthroat Trout
Authors: LeCheminant Alex G. , Barrile Gabriel M. , Albeke Shannon E. , Walters Annika W.
Published: June 2021

The ability of native fish to establish self‐sustaining populations when reintroduced to vacant habitats is variable. We evaluated factors that potentially affect the reintroduction success of juvenile Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus that were reintroduced to an isolated watershed and were experiencing suboptimal survival and recruitment. We conducted a 3‐year mark–recapture study to model annual apparent survival probability as it related to (1) different ex situ rearing strategies and (2) initial release among different habitat types. The use of PIT tags also enabled the quantification of loss via emigration. Apparent survival was highest for small fish that were minimally exposed to ex situ rearing conditions, stocked in small, headwater stream reaches. However, maximum estimates of apparent survival remained low (≤0.38 ± 0.05 [estimate ± SE]) regardless of rearing treatment, stocking location, or interactive effects between covariates. Emigration of stocked fish (<1%) from the study area did not appear to limit their establishment. Our results suggest that variation in stocking and rearing strategy may have some effect on translocation success and the interaction between rearing and stocking strategy highlights the importance of considering the life history stage of stocked individuals when identifying stocking sites. Consistently low annual survival values may be indicative of a larger issue, requiring in‐depth evaluation of adaptive potential within our brood source and other factors that potentially limit population persistence.
Molecular phylogenetics of the Dissochaeta alliance (Melastomataceae): Redefining tribe Dissochaeteae
Authors: Kartonegoro Abdulrokhman , Veranso‐Libalah Marie Claire , Kadereit Gudrun , Frenger Annkathrin , Penneys Darin S. , Mota de Oliveira Sylvia , Van Welzen Peter C.
Published: June 2021

The Dissochaeta alliance (= subtribe Dissochaetinae) is a group of woody climbing taxa within tribe Dissochaeteae (Melastomataceae) and comprises 90 species mainly distributed in Southeast Asia. The circumscription of the alliance and its genera has been problematic when based on only morphological characters. With a broad sampling of relevant taxa, this study aims at a natural circumscription of and revised generic delimitation within this alliance. A molecular phylogeny based on two nuclear (nrETS, nrITS) and four chloroplast (ndhF,psbK‐psbL,rbcL,rpl16) markers confirmed the non‐monophyly of Dissochaeteae s.l. Taxa traditionally placed in Dissochaeteae are found in three lineages in distant positions within Melastomataceae. The Medinilla alliance is resolved within Sonerileae + Oxysporeae, while the monophyleticDinophora/Ochthocharislineage forms a polytomy with Marcetieae, Melastomateae, Microlicieae, and Rhexieae; and the well‐supported Dissochaeta alliance is sister to Cambessedesieae. Based on the molecular results, Dissochaeteae is redefined to exclude the Medinilla alliance andDinophora/Ochthocharis. It consists of six successively branching major clades, which we treat as six genera,Pseudodissochaeta,Creochiton,Dalenia(Dissochaetasect.Dalenia),Diplectria(Dissochaetasect.Diplectria),MacrolenesandDissochaetas.str. To avoid a paraphyleticDissochaeta,DaleniaandDiplectriaare resurrected,Macrolenesis expanded to include theDissochaeta rostratacomplex, and a narrowly circumscribedDissochaetas.str. is adopted. A re‐investigation of morphological characters based on herbarium material provides support of newly defined taxa. Two sections forMacrolenesare newly proposed, and two sections ofDissochaetas.str. are maintained. Important morphological traits such as habit and floral characters are discussed to show the morphological support for each delimited genus and the establishment of a new classification of the tribe.
Electrochemical Assembly for Synthesis of Middle‐Sized Organic Molecules
Authors: Shibuya Akito , Nokami Toshiki
Published: June 2021

Electrochemical methods offer a powerful, reliable, and environmentally benign approach for the synthesis of small organic molecules, and such methods are useful not only for the transformation of small molecules, but also for the preparation of oligomers and polymers. Electrochemical assembly is a concept that allows structurally well‐defined middle‐sized organic molecules to be synthesized by applying electrochemical methods. The preparation of dendrimers, dendronized polymers, and oligosaccharides are introduced as examples of such an approach. Automated electrochemical assembly of oligosaccharides is also demonstrated using the electrochemical synthesizer developed by our group.
Iridium‐Catalyzed Hydroarylation via C−H Bond Activation
Authors: Nishimura Takahiro
Published: June 2021

Hydroarylation reactions via C−H activation, which compensate for shortcomings of classical methods based on the Friedel‐Crafts reaction, is one of the most attractive methods to synthesize substituted arenes. This Personal Account reviews our recent studies on iridium‐catalyzed intermolecular hydroarylation of vinyl ethers, alkynes, bicycloalkenes, and 1,3‐dienes, and intramolecular hydroarylation of m‐allyloxyphenyl ketones, where asymmetric addition reactions are included. A cationic iridium catalyst, which is generated from chloroiridium [IrCl] and NaBArF4 [ArF=3,5‐(CF3)2C6H3], or a hydroxoiridium [Ir(OH)] complex is effective in catalyzing the hydroarylation depending on the substrates. 1,5‐Cyclooctadiene (cod), chiral dienes, and conventional bisphosphines function as ligands controlling the high reactivity and selectivity of the catalysts in the hydroarylation. H/D exchange reaction of alkenes by use of a key intermediate of the hydroarylation reaction is also described.
Carbon‐Sulfur Bond Constructions: From Transition‐Metal Catalysis to Sustainable Catalysis
Authors: Annamalai Pratheepkumar , Liu Ke‐Chien , Singh Badsara Satpal , Lee Chin‐Fa
Published: June 2021

The recent decade evidenced a significant development in the construction of the C−S bond. The journey began with transitional‐metal catalysis and reached sustainable catalysis via oxidant, photo, and electro catalyzed methods. A variety of catalytic systems have been explored for the C−S bond formation using a variety of sulfur precursors. This personal account provides an inclusive discussion of these developed methods in terms of reactivity, sustainability and productivity.
Parameter Identification of Roll Motion Equation of Ship in Regular Wave Using Opposition Based Learning Gaussian Bare Bone Imperialist Competition Algorithm
Authors: Lei Dongge , You Ting , Cai Lulu
Published: June 2021

In this paper, a new method is proposed to identify the parameters of roll motion equation using the response data of ship in regular waves. The proposed method is based on the fact that if the estimated parameters are close to the true parameters, then, its response are also close to the true response. Therefore, the parameter identification is achieved via minimizing the mean square error between the true response and the estimated response. To effectively solving the parameter minimization problem, an improved imperialist competition algorithm (ICA), called opposition based learning Gaussian bare bone imperialist competition algorithm (OBL‐GBBICA) is proposed. The proposed OBL‐GBBICA integrates the opposition learning and Gaussian sampling technique into ICA to enhance its exploration ability and speed up its convergence. Experimental results show that the proposed method can accurately identify the parameters of roll motion equation. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Health implications among school children due to fluoride in underground aquifers of Haryana state, India
Authors: Singh Jabrinder , Bhardwaj Pooja , Awasthi Abhishek
Published: June 2021

Potable water requirements for 98% of people in Haryana (India) are accomplished by groundwater resources. Considering the presence of high fluoride content in ground aquifers, and the subsequent problem of dental fluorosis, this study was conducted in the central region of Haryana state. Underground water samples at eight sites at three depths were examined during premonsoon and postmonsoon (2018–2020) to differentiate the impact of water recharging and its interaction with rocks. The SPADANS‐zirconyl oxychloride method (UV–vis spectrophotometer – Systronics 118) was adopted for fluoride‐level detection. The fluoride level in sampling sites varied from 0.19 to 2.87 ppm with a mean of 1.06 ppm in water samples. More than 38% of samples did not meet the optimum permissible limit (1 ppm) of fluoride in potable water. The fluoride level intensifies in postmonsoon samples with the maximum concentration at 40 m bgl depth. Estimated marginal mean statistics illustrate a significant impact of locations, depth of water sample, and monsoon season on fluoride levels. Fluorosis prevalence among school‐going children (N = 1600) was also assessed (Dean's index) to gain implications of fluoride concentration on health. Forty‐nine percent of children suffer from various levels of dental fluorosis with male children had high occurrences. Public health authorities must ensure safe drinking water availability and preventive measures for fluorosis prevalence in this region through defluoridation of water resources and distribution of calcium/ascorbic acid food supplement to school children.
Root water uptake of biofuel crops revealed by coupled electrical resistivity and soil water content measurements
Authors: Kuhl Alexandria S. , Kendall Anthony D. , van Dam Remke L. , Hamilton Stephen K. , Hyndman David W.
Published: June 2021

Biofuel crops, including annuals such as maize (Zea maysL.), soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.], and canola (Brassica napusL.), as well as high‐biomass perennial grasses such as miscanthus (Miscanthus×giganteusJ.M. Greef & Deuter ex Hodkinson & Renvoiz), are candidates for sustainable alternative energy sources. However, large‐scale conversion of croplands to perennial biofuel crops could have substantial impacts on regional water, nutrient, and C cycles due to the longer growing seasons and differences in rooting systems compared with most annual crops. However, due to the limited tools available to nondestructively study the spatiotemporal patterns of root water uptake in situ at field scales, these differences in crop water use are not well known. Geophysical imaging tools such as electrical resistivity (ER) reveal changes in water content in the soil profile. In this study, we demonstrate the use of a novel coupled hydrogeophysical approach with both time domain reflectometry soil water content and ER measurements to compare root water uptake and soil properties of an annual crop rotation with the perennial grass miscanthus, across three growing seasons (2009–2011) in southwest Michigan, USA. We estimated maximum root depths to be between 1.2 and 2.2 m, with the vertical distribution of roots being notably deeper in 2009 relative to 2010 and 2011, likely due to the drought conditions during that first year. Modeled cumulative ET of both crops was underestimated (2–34%) relative to estimates obtained from soil water drawdown in prior studies but was found to be greater in the perennial grass than the annual crops, despite shallower modeled rooting depths in 2010 and 2011.
Aktuelles zur Herz-Nieren-Interaktion
Authors: Emrich Insa E. , Tokcan Mert , Al Ghorani Hussam , Schwenger Vedat , Mahfoud Felix
Published: June 2021

Chronisch nierenkranke Patienten weisen eine erhöhte kardiovaskuläre Morbidität und Sterblichkeit auf. Im letzten Jahr sind einige wichtige Studien zur Herz-Nieren-Interaktion veröffentlicht worden, die im Folgenden zusammengefasst und diskutiert werden. In der DAPA-CKD-Studie sowie in der SCORED-Studie konnten 2 unterschiedliche SGLT2(„sodium-glucose linked transporter 2“)-Inhibitoren (Dapagliflozin und Sotagliflozin) die Prognose von chronisch nierenkranken Patienten mit und ohne Diabetes nachweislich verbessern. Auch die Ergebnisse der randomisierten Studie zum neuen Mineralokortikoidrezeptorantagonisten Finerenon – FIDELIO-DKD – liefern einen vielversprechenden neuen Therapieansatz für Patienten mit diabetischer Nephropathie. Die veröffentlichten Daten der ISCHEMIA-CKD-Studie bei Patienten mit koronarer Herzkrankheit und Untersuchungen zum Einfluss einer TAVI („transcatheter aortic valve implantation“) auf die Nierenfunktion sowie eine weitere Studie zum akuten Nierenversagen nach MitraClip®-Implantation (Abbott, Chicago, IL, USA) geben wichtige Hinweise zu zukünftigen Handlungsempfehlungen. Der optimale Zeitpunkt der Einleitung einer Nierenersatztherapie bei Patienten mit akuter Nierenschädigung in der Intensivmedizin wurde in 2 randomisierten Studien untersucht, die entsprechend diskutiert werden.
Qualitätssicherungssystem zur Bewertung eines HNO-Facharztrepetitoriums
Authors: Albrecht Tobias , Hildenbrand Tanja , Beneke Jan , Offergeld Christian , Ramackers Wolf
Published: June 2021

Hintergrund

Die Facharztweiterbildung ist häufig durch lokal geprägte Weiterbildungsschwerpunkte bestimmt, was zu einem heterogenen Weiterbildungsergebnis führen kann. Repetitorien vor Facharztprüfungen könnten dies harmonisieren.

Ziel der Arbeit

Ziel ist die Darstellung eines Qualitätssicherungssystems zur Bewertung eines Repetitoriums für HNO-Facharztkandidaten.

Material und Methoden

Die Lehreinheiten eines in Präsenz durchgeführten Facharztrepetitoriums wurde mittels Fragebogen evaluiert. Sowohl eine deskriptive Auswertung als auch eine multivariable binär-logistische Regressionsanalyse wurden durchgeführt. Zur Evaluation der Faktoren, die zu einer negativen Wahrnehmung einer Lehreinheit führen, erfolgte eine Fokussierung auf die schlechtesten 15 % aller Gesamtbewertungen. Für ein individuelles Dozentenfeedback wurde exemplarisch ein Stärken-Schwächen-Profil eines Dozenten erstellt.

Ergebnisse

Die Auswertung der Evaluationsergebnisse zeigte eine durchschnittlich sehr gute Gesamtbewertung von 12,8 (±2,4) bei maximal 15 möglichen Punkten. Die multivariable Regression bestimmte die Items „Freundlichkeit“, „Systematischer Aufbau“, „Eigene Mitarbeit“, „Vorwissen“ und „Unterrichtseinheit effizient“ als maßgeblich für eine Negativwahrnehmung einer Lehreinheit. Anhand des Dozentenprofils lassen sich in einer objektiven Form die Stärken und Schwächen des individuellen Dozenten aufzeigen.

Schlussfolgerung

Der entwickelte Fragebogen bildet eine gute Möglichkeit zur Qualitätssicherung einer Lehrveranstaltung in der Weiterbildung. Diese erfolgt zum einen über die Regressionsanalyse aller Fragebögen, zum anderen über die Erstellung eines individuellen Dozentenprofils, welches eine objektive Grundlage zur Verbesserung der einzelnen Lehreinheit durch ein detailliertes Feedback an den Dozenten ermöglicht.
Aspects of Medication and Patient participation—an Easy guideLine (AMPEL). A conversation guide increases patients’ and physicians’ satisfaction with prescription talks
Authors: Kirsch Verena , Matthes Jan
Published: June 2021

Patients want more information and active participation in medical decisions. Information and active participation correlate with increased adherence. A conversation guide, combining patient-relevant drug information with steps of shared decision-making, was developed to support physicians in effective and efficient prescription talks. Six GP trainees in community-based primary care practices participated in a controlled pilot study in sequential pre-post design. Initially, they conducted 41 prescription talks as usual, i.e., without knowing the guide. Then, they conducted 23 talks considering the guide (post-intervention phase). Immediately after the respective talk, patients filled in a questionnaire on satisfaction with the information on medication and physician–patient interaction, and physicians about their satisfaction with the talk and the application of the guide. Patients felt better informed after guide-based prescription talks (e.g., SIMS-D in median 10 vs. 17, p < 0.05), more actively involved (KPF-A for patient activation 2.9 ± 0.8 vs. 3.6 ± 0.8, p < 0.05), and more satisfied with the physician–patient interaction. Physicians rated the guide helpful and feasible. Their satisfaction with the conversation was significantly enhanced during the post-intervention phase. The evaluation of the duration of the talk was not influenced. Enhanced patients’ and physicians’ satisfaction with prescription talks encourages further examinations of the conversation guide. We invite physicians to try our guide in everyday medical practice.
Contributions of implicit and explicit memories to sensorimotor adaptation of movement extent during goal-directed reaching
Authors: Lantagne Devon D. , Mrotek Leigh Ann , Slick Rebecca , Beardsley Scott A. , Thomas Danny G. , Scheidt Robert A.
Published: June 2021

We examined how implicit and explicit memories contribute to sensorimotor adaptation of movement extent during goal-directed reaching. Twenty subjects grasped the handle of a horizontal planar robot that rendered spring-like resistance to movement. Subjects made rapid “out-and-back” reaches to capture a remembered visual target at the point of maximal reach extent. The robot’s resistance changed unpredictably between reaches, inducing target capture errors that subjects attempted to correct from one trial to the next. Each subject performed over 400 goal-directed reaching trials. Some trials were performed without concurrent visual cursor feedback of hand motion. Some trials required self-assessment of performance between trials, whereby subjects reported peak reach extent on the most recent trial. This was done by either moving a cursor on a horizontal display (visual self-assessment), or by moving the robot’s handle back to the recalled location (proprioceptive self-assessment). Control condition trials performed either without or with concurrent visual cursor feedback of hand motion did not require self-assessments. We used step-wise linear regression analyses to quantify the extent to which prior reach errors and explicit memories of reach extent contribute to subsequent reach performance. Consistent with prior reports, providing concurrent visual feedback of hand motion increased reach accuracy and reduced the impact of past performance errors on future performance, relative to the corresponding no-vision control condition. By contrast, we found no impact of interposed self-assessment on subsequent reach performance or on how prior target capture errors influence subsequent reach performance. Self-assessments were biased toward the remembered target location and they spanned a compressed range of values relative to actual reach extents, demonstrating that declarative memories of reach performance systematically differed from actual performances. We found that multilinear regression could best account for observed data variability when the regression model included only implicit memories of prior reach performance; including explicit memories (self-assessments) in the model did not improve its predictive accuracy. We conclude therefore that explicit memories of prior reach performance do not contribute to implicit sensorimotor adaptation of movement extent during goal-directed reaching under conditions of environmental uncertainty.
Population pharmacokinetic and exploratory exposure–response analysis of the fixed-dose combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab for subcutaneous injection in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer in the FeDeriCa study
Authors: Wang Bei , Deng Rong , Hennig Stefanie , Badovinac Crnjevic Tanja , Kaewphluk Monika , Kågedal Matts , Quartino Angelica L. , Girish Sandhya , Li Chunze , Kirschbrown Whitney P.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

To characterize pertuzumab pharmacokinetics (PK) in FeDeriCa (NCT03493854: fixed-dose combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab for subcutaneous injection [PH FDC SC] versus intravenous pertuzumab plus trastuzumab); derive individual pertuzumab exposures in the PH FDC SC arm for subsequent pertuzumab exposure–response (ER) analyses; compare observed trastuzumab PK with predicted exposures from a previous SC trastuzumab model; assess whether pertuzumab affects trastuzumab PK; evaluate pertuzumab exposure–efficacy and –safety relationships and support the approved SC dosing regimen.

Methods

Population pharmacokinetic modeling and simulations were used to describe the data. Standard goodness-of-fit diagnostics and prediction-corrected visual predictive checks were used for model performance assessment. Covariates were included from previously reported models. ER analysis was conducted using logistic regression.

Results

SC pertuzumab PK was described adequately by a two-compartment model with first-order absorption; significant covariates included in the final model were albumin, lean body weight, and Asian region; however, these appeared not to be clinically relevant. Trastuzumab concentrations were described adequately by the previous model; there was no evidence of a pertuzumab effect on trastuzumab PK as part of PH FDC SC and higher model-predicted pertuzumab exposure was not associated with differences in pathologic complete response rate or an increased probability of selected grade ≥ 3 adverse events of interest.

Conclusion

The approved PH FDC SC dose [loading: 1200/600 mg pertuzumab/trastuzumab (15 mL); maintenance: 600 mg pertuzumab/trastuzumab (10 mL) and 2000 U/mL recombinant human hyaluronidase every 3 weeks] provides a positive benefit–risk profile with comparable efficacy and safety to intravenous pertuzumab plus trastuzumab.
Pre-contrast T1-weighted imaging of the spinal cord may be unnecessary in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Riederer Isabelle , Mühlau Mark , Zimmer Claus , Gutbrod-Fernandez Magaly , Sollmann Nico , Kirschke Jan S
Published: June 2021

Objectives

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease frequently involving the spinal cord, which can be assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here, we hypothesize that pre-contrast T1-w imaging does not add diagnostic value to routine spinal MRI for the follow-up of patients with MS.

Methods

3-T MRI scans including pre- and post-contrast T1-w as well as T2-w images of 265 consecutive patients (mean age: 40 ± 13 years, 169 women) with (suspected) MS were analyzed retrospectively. Images were assessed in two separate reading sessions, first excluding and second including pre-contrast T1-w images. Two independent neuroradiologists rated the number of contrast-enhancing (ce) lesions as well as diagnostic confidence (1 = unlikely to 5 = very high), overall image quality, and artifacts. Results were compared using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests and weighted Cohen’s kappa (κ).

Results

Fifty-six ce lesions were found in 43 patients. There were no significant differences in diagnostic confidence between both readings for both readers (reader 1: p = 0.058; reader 2: p = 0.317). Inter-rater concordance was both moderate regarding artifacts (κ = 0.418) and overall image quality (κ = 0.504). Thirty-one black holes were found in 25 patients with high diagnostic confidence (reader 1: 4.04 ± 0.81; reader 2: 3.80 ± 0.92) and substantial inter-rater concordance (κ = 0.700).

Conclusions

Availability of pre-contrast T1-w images did not significantly increase diagnostic confidence or detection rate of ce lesions in the spinal cord in patients with MS. Thus, pre-contrast T1-w sequences might be omitted in routine spinal MRI for follow-up exams, however not in special unclear clinical situations in which certainty on contrast enhancement is required.

Key Points

Availability of pre-contrast T1-w images does not increase diagnostic confidence or detection rate of contrast-enhancing lesions in the spinal cord of MS patients.

Excluding pre-contrast T1-w sequences reduces scan time, thus providing more time for other sequences or increasing the patients’ compliance.
Can preoperative results predict the need for future reintervention following injection laryngoplasty for unilateral vocal fold paralysis?
Authors: Miaśkiewicz Beata , Panasiewicz Aleksandra , Gos Elżbieta , Krasnodębska Paulina , Skarżyński Piotr H. , Szkiełkowska Agata
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The objective was to investigate whether a patient’s preoperative test results can predict the need for future reoperation in unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP).

Methods

A single-centre retrospective study was performed. The study group consisted of 18 patients with UVFP who had been treated with injection laryngoplasty but who required further treatment and were augmentated again within 36 months. The control group consisted of 33 injected patients who had not required reintervention up to 36 months later.

Results

Only glottal gap was associated with a relative risk for reinjection. Glottal gap was found to be severe in 77.8% of the patients from the study group compared to 42.4% of the controls, and the difference was statistically significant. The kind of injected material (calcium hydroxylapatite or hyaluronic acid), age, and voice assessment (perceptual, objective, or subjective) did not seem to affect the likelihood of reoperation being needed. There were no between-group statistically significant differences in individual aspects of the GRBAS scale. The global score was slightly higher in the study group, but it did not reach statistical significance (U = 198.5; p = 0.09). A comparison of VHI scores did not yield statistically significant differences between the study and control groups. No significant differences in objective acoustic voice parameters were observed between the groups.

Conclusion

Only glottal gap occurred to be associated with a relative risk for reinjection. A kind of injected material (CaHA or HA), age, perceptual, objective and subjective voice assessment do not seem to impact the likelihood of reoperation in patients with UVFP.
A continuum mechanical framework for modeling tumor growth and treatment in two- and three-phase systems
Authors: Miller Cass T. , Gray William G. , Schrefler Bernhard A.
Published: June 2021

The growth and treatment of tumors is an important problem to society that involves the manifestation of cellular phenomena at length scales on the order of centimeters. Continuum mechanical approaches are being increasingly used to model tumors at the largest length scales of concern. The issue of how to best connect such descriptions to smaller-scale descriptions remains open. We formulate a framework to derive macroscale models of tumor behavior using the thermodynamically constrained averaging theory (TCAT), which provides a firm connection with the microscale and constraints on permissible forms of closure relations. We build on developments in the porous medium mechanics literature to formulate fundamental entropy inequality expressions for a general class of three-phase, compositional models at the macroscale. We use the general framework derived to formulate two classes of models, a two-phase model and a three-phase model. The general TCAT framework derived forms the basis for a wide range of potential models of varying sophistication, which can be derived, approximated, and applied to understand not only tumor growth but also the effectiveness of various treatment modalities.
Influence of morphology on the effective hygro-elastic properties of softwood (spruce) and hardwood (balsa)
Authors: Livani M. A. , Bosco E. , Suiker A. S. J.
Published: June 2021

Wood materials are characterized by complex, hierarchical material structures spanning across various length scales. The present work aims at establishing a relation between the hygro-elastic properties at the mesoscopic cellular level and the effective material response at the macroscopic level, both for softwood (spruce) and hardwood (balsa). The particular aim is to explore the influence on the effective hygro-elastic properties under variations in the meso-scale morphology. The multi-scale framework applied for this purpose uses the method of asymptotic homogenization, which allows to accurately and efficiently obtain the effective response of heterogeneous materials characterized by complex meso-structural geometries. The meso-structural model considered for softwood is based on a periodic, two-dimensional statistically representative volume element that is generated by a spatial repetition of tracheid cells. The tracheid cells are modeled as hexagonal elements characterized by a certain geometrical irregularity. The hardwood meso-structure consists of a region composed of hexagonal cellular fibers with large vessels embedded, which is connected to a ray region that is constructed of ray cells. The hardwood fibers are modeled as hexagonal cellular elements, similar to softwood tracheids. The rays are represented by quadrilateral cells oriented along the radial direction, whereby different arrangements are considered, i.e., the ray cells are either regularly stacked or organized as a staggered configuration. The interface between the fiber and ray regions may also be characterized by a regular or a staggered arrangement. The meso-structural models for softwood and hardwood are discretized by means of plane-strain, finite element models, which describe the hygro-elastic response of the wood material in the radial–tangential plane. For softwood, the sensitivity of the effective elastic and hygro-expansive properties is explored as a function of the geometrical irregularity of the tracheids. For hardwood, the effective properties are studied under a variation of the ray cell arrangement, the type of interface between ray and fiber regions, and the vessel volume fraction. The modeling results agree well with results obtained from other numerical homogenization studies and show to be in reasonable agreement with experimental data taken from the literature.
Group membership does not modulate automatic imitation
Authors: Genschow Oliver , Westfal Mareike , Cracco Emiel , Crusius Jan
Published: June 2021

Individuals have the automatic tendency to imitate each other. A key prediction of different theories explaining automatic imitation is that individuals imitate in-group members more strongly than out-group members. However, the empirical basis for this prediction is rather inconclusive. Only a few experiments have investigated the influence of group membership using classic automatic imitation paradigms and these experiments led to mixed results. To put the group membership prediction to a critical test, we carried out six high-powered experiments (total N = 1538) in which we assessed imitation with the imitation-inhibition task and manipulated group membership in different ways. Evidence across all experiments indicates that group membership does not modulate automatic imitation. Moreover, we do not find support for the idea that feelings of affiliation or perceived similarity moderate the effect of group membership on automatic imitation. These results have important implications for theories explaining automatic imitation and contribute to the current discussion of whether automatic imitation can be socially modulated.
Fronto-parietal homotopy in resting-state functional connectivity predicts task-switching performance
Authors: Vallesi Antonino , Visalli Antonino , Gracia-Tabuenca Zeus , Tarantino Vincenza , Capizzi Mariagrazia , Alcauter Sarael , Mantini Dante , Pini Lorenzo
Published: June 2021

Homotopic functional connectivity reflects the degree of synchrony in spontaneous activity between homologous voxels in the two hemispheres. Previous studies have associated increased brain homotopy and decreased white matter integrity with performance decrements on different cognitive tasks across the life-span. Here, we correlated functional homotopy, both at the whole-brain level and specifically in fronto-parietal network nodes, with task-switching performance in young adults. Cue-to-target intervals (CTI: 300 vs. 1200 ms) were manipulated on a trial-by-trial basis to modulate cognitive demands and strategic control. We found that mixing costs, a measure of task-set maintenance and monitoring, were significantly correlated to homotopy in different nodes of the fronto-parietal network depending on CTI. In particular, mixing costs for short CTI trials were smaller with lower homotopy in the superior frontal gyrus, whereas mixing costs for long CTI trials were smaller with lower homotopy in the supramarginal gyrus. These results were specific to the fronto-parietal network, as similar voxel-wise analyses within a control language network did not yield significant correlations with behavior. These findings extend previous literature on the relationship between homotopy and cognitive performance to task-switching, and show a dissociable role of homotopy in different fronto-parietal nodes depending on task demands.
Phase transitions for spatially extended pinning
Authors: Caravenna Francesco , den Hollander Frank
Published: June 2021

We consider a directed polymer of lengthNinteracting with a linear interface. The monomers carry i.i.d. random charges$$(\omega _i)_{i=1}^N$$(ωi)i=1Ntaking values in$${\mathbb {R}}$$Rwith mean zero and variance one. Each monomericontributes an energy$$(\beta \omega _i-h)\varphi (S_i)$$(βωi-h)φ(Si)to the interaction Hamiltonian, where$$S_i \in {\mathbb {Z}}$$Si∈Zis the height of monomeriwith respect to the interface,$$\varphi :\,{\mathbb {Z}}\rightarrow [0,\infty )$$φ:Z→[0,∞)is the interaction potential,$$\beta \in [0,\infty )$$β∈[0,∞)is the inverse temperature, and$$h \in {\mathbb {R}}$$h∈Ris the charge bias parameter. The configurations of the polymer are weighted according to the Gibbs measure associated with the interaction Hamiltonian, where the reference measure is given by a Markov chain on$${\mathbb {Z}}$$Z. We study both thequenchedand theannealedfree energy per monomer in the limit as$$N\rightarrow \infty $$N→∞. We show that each exhibits a phase transition along a critical curve in the$$(\beta ,h)$$(β,h)-plane, separating alocalized phase(where the polymer stays close to the interface) from adelocalized phase(where the polymer wanders away from the interface). We derive variational formulas for the critical curves and we obtain upper and lower bounds on the quenched critical curve in terms of the annealed critical curve. In addition, for the special case where the reference measure is given by aBessel random walk, we derive the scaling limit of the annealed free energy as$$\beta ,h \downarrow 0$$β,h↓0inthree different regimesfor the tail exponent of$$\varphi $$φ.
Erweiterung von Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen im Hochwassermanagement durch Berücksichtigung sozialer und psychologischer Verwundbarkeit
Authors: Thaler Thomas , Seebauer Sebastian , Rogger Magdalena , Dworak Thomas , Winkler Claudia
Published: June 2021

Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen im Hochwassermanagement verwenden zur Beurteilung von Schutzkonzepten meist den physischen Schaden als Hauptkriterium. Dies kann zu einer ungleichen räumlichen Entwicklung führen, da in strukturschwachen Gemeinden meist weit geringere monetäre Werte gefährdet sind als in verdichteten Siedlungszentren. Der folgende Beitrag zeigt den Zusammenhang zwischen sozialer Gerechtigkeit und Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse und schlägt vor, wie strukturschwache Gemeinden besser in einem neuen Konzept der Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse abgebildet werden könnten, indem im Entscheidungsprozess soziale und psychologische Merkmale der Betroffenen mitberücksichtigt werden. Diese Erweiterung führt dazu, dass insbesondere Gemeinden in strukturschwachen Gebieten die Möglichkeit haben, einen Hochwasserschutz rascher umzusetzen. Mit diesem Beitrag möchten wir nicht nur die Bedeutung der sozialen und psychologischen Indikatoren im Hochwassermanagement aufzeigen, sondern auch, wie der Entscheidungsprozess in Zukunft gerechter gestaltet werden kann.
An attempt to dissect a peripheral marker based on cell pathology in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Biagioni Francesca , Ferese Rosangela , Giorgi Filippo Sean , Modugno Nicola , Olivola Enrica , Lenzi Paola , Gambardella Stefano , Centonze Diego , Ruggieri Stefano , Fornai Francesco
Published: June 2021

Peripheral markers in Parkinson’s disease (PD) represent a hot issue to provide early diagnosis and assess disease progression. The gold standard marker of PD should feature the same reliability as the pathogenic alteration, which produces the disease itself. PD is foremost a movement disorder produced by a loss of nigrostriatal dopamine innervation, in which striatal dopamine terminals are always markedly reduced in PD patients to an extent, which never overlaps with controls. Similarly, a reliable marker of PD should possess such a non-overlapping feature when compared with controls. In the present study, we provide a novel pathological hallmark, the autophagosome, which in each PD patient was always suppressed compared with each control subject. Autophagosomes were counted as microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3)-positive vacuoles at ultrastructural morphometry within peripheral (blood) blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). This also provides the gold standard to assess the autophagy status. Since autophagy may play a role in the pathogenesis of PD, autophagosomes may be a disease marker, while participating in the biology of the disease. Stoichiometric measurement of α-synuclein despite significantly increased in PD patients, overlapped between PD and control patients. Although the study need to be validated in large populations, the number of autophagy vacuoles is neither related with therapy (the amount was similarly suppressed in a few de novo patients), nor the age in PD or controls.
Efficacy of resin infiltration to mask post-orthodontic or non-post-orthodontic white spot lesions or fluorosis — a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bourouni S. , Dritsas K. , Kloukos D. , Wierichs R. J.
Published: June 2021

Objective

The present review systematically analyzed clinical studies investigating the efficacy of resin infiltration on post-orthodontic or non-post-orthodontic, white spot lesions (WSL), or fluorosis.

Materials

Five electronic databases (Central, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, LILACS) were screened. Article selection and data abstraction were done in duplicate. No language or time restrictions were applied. Outcomes were visual-tactile or DIAGNOdent measurements.

Results

Eleven studies with 1834 teeth being affected in 413 patients were included. Nine studies were randomized control trials, one a prospective cohort study, and one had an unclear study design. Meta-analysis could be performed for “resin infiltration vs. untreated control,” “resin infiltration vs. fluoride varnish,” and “resin infiltration without bleaching vs. resin infiltration with bleaching.” WSL being treated with resin infiltration showed a significantly higher optical improvement than WSL without any treatment (standard mean difference (SMD) [95% CI] = 1.24 [0.59, 1.88], moderate level of evidence [visual-tactile assessment]) and with fluoride varnish application (mean difference (MD) [95% CI] = 4.76 [0.74, 8.78], moderate level of evidence [DIAGNOdent reading]). In patients with fluorosis, bleaching prior to resin infiltration showed no difference in the masking effect compared to infiltration alone (MD [95% CI] = − 0.30 [− 0.98, 0.39], moderate level of evidence).

Conclusion

Resin infiltration has a significantly higher masking effect than natural remineralization or regular application of fluoride varnishes. However, although the evidence was graded as moderate, this conclusion is based on only very few well-conducted RCTs.

Clinical relevance

Resin infiltration seems to be a viable option to esthetically mask enamel white spot lesions and fluorosis.
Optimized location of light sources to cover a rectangular region
Authors: Kovács Kristóf , Tóth Boglárka
Published: June 2021

The problem we considered was proposed by an industrial partner. The aim is to locate light sources around a rectangular field such that the areas these illuminate cover the whole field. We assume these illuminated areas to be rectangular as well, parallel to the field. Covering an area with multiple lights is allowed. There are several types of light sources, priced differently with different sizes of their illuminated area. We aim to minimize the cost of the cover. We propose a constraint generation approach for solving this covering problem. We formulate a MIP model to locate the light sources such that a finite number of predetermined points have to be covered. The result does not necessarily solve the original problem, i.e. it does not cover the whole field. Therefore, a constraint generation model is built to calculate a non-covered point such that the first model has to improve its previous solution to cover this new point as well. If no uncovered point is found, the result is an optimal covering, thus we stop. We have also designed some set of additional constraints to exclude symmetrical solutions, to speed up the algorithm. We analyze the efficiency of the additional constraints and report some computational results in realistic settings.
Multi-paradigm modelling for cyber–physical systems: a descriptive framework
Authors: Amrani Moussa , Blouin Dominique , Heinrich Robert , Rensink Arend , Vangheluwe Hans , Wortmann Andreas
Published: June 2021

The complexity of cyber–physical systems (CPSs) is commonly addressed through complex workflows, involving models in a plethora of different formalisms, each with their own methods, techniques, and tools. Some workflow patterns, combined with particular types of formalisms and operations on models in these formalisms, are used successfully in engineering practice. To identify and reuse them, we refer to these combinations of workflow and formalism patterns as modelling paradigms. This paper proposes a unifying (Descriptive) Framework to describe these paradigms, as well as their combinations. This work is set in the context of Multi-Paradigm Modelling (MPM), which is based on the principle to model every part and aspect of a system explicitly, at the most appropriate level(s) of abstraction, using the most appropriate modelling formalism(s) and workflows. The purpose of the Descriptive Framework presented in this paper is to serve as a basis to reason about these formalisms, workflows, and their combinations. One crucial part of the framework is the ability to capture the structural essence of a paradigm through the concept of a paradigmatic structure. This is illustrated informally by means of two example paradigms commonly used in CPS: Discrete Event Dynamic Systems and Synchronous Data Flow. The presented framework also identifies the need to establish whether a paradigm candidate follows, or qualifies as, a (given) paradigm. To illustrate the ability of the framework to support combining paradigms, the paper shows examples of both workflow and formalism combinations. The presented framework is intended as a basis for characterisation and classification of paradigms, as a starting point for a rigorous formalisation of the framework (allowing formal analyses), and as a foundation for MPM tool development.
Estimation of absolute GNSS satellite antenna group delay variations based on those of absolute receiver antenna group delays
Authors: Beer Susanne , Wanninger Lambert , Heßelbarth Anja
Published: June 2021

GNSS satellite and receiving antennas exhibit group delay variations (GDV), which affect code pseudorange measurements. Like antenna phase center variations, which affect phase measurements, they are frequency-dependent and vary with the direction of the transmitted and received signal. GNSS code observations contain the combined contributions of satellite and receiver antennas. If absolute GDV are available for the receiver antennas, absolute satellite GDV can be determined. In 2019, an extensive set of absolute receiver antenna GDV was published and, thus, it became feasible to estimate absolute satellite antenna GDV based on terrestrial observations. We used the absolute GDV of four selected receiver antenna types and observation data of globally distributed reference stations that employ these antenna types to determine absolute GDV for the GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS satellite antennas. Besides BeiDou-2 satellites whose GDV are known to reach up to 1.5 m peak-to-peak, the GPS satellites show the largest GDV at frequencies L1 and L5 with up to 0.3 and 0.4 m peak-to-peak, respectively. They also show the largest satellite-to-satellite variations within a constellation. The GDV of GLONASS-M satellites reach up to 25 cm at frequency G1; Galileo satellites exhibit the largest GDV at frequency E6 with up to 20 cm; BeiDou-3 satellites show the largest GDV of around 15 cm at frequencies B1-2 and B3. Frequencies L2 of GPS IIIA, E1 of Galileo FOC, and B2a/B2b of BeiDou-3 satellites are the least affected. Their variations are below 10 cm.
Consistent oviposition preferences of the Duke of Burgundy butterfly over 14 years on a chalk grassland reserve in Bedfordshire, UK
Authors: Hayes M. P. , Ashe-Jepson E. , Hitchcock G. E. , Knock R. I. , Lucas C. B. H. , Bladon A. J. , Turner E. C.
Published: June 2021

The Duke of Burgundy butterfly (Hamearis lucina) is known to have specific habitat requirements for its larval foodplants. However, no studies have yet investigated whether these preferences vary over time or in relation to climate, and there is a paucity of data on whether management on reserves can replicate preferred conditions. Here, we build upon existing research to confirm which characteristics Duke of Burgundy prefer for their larval foodplants, whether preferences remain consistent across years, and whether conservation management on reserves can replicate these conditions. Fieldwork was carried out at Totternhoe Quarry Reserve, a chalk grassland site in Bedfordshire, UK. Confirming previous research, we found that large Primula plants in dense patches were chosen for oviposition, but that once chosen there was no preference to lay eggs on a plant’s largest leaf. Chosen foodplants were also more sheltered and in closer proximity to scrub than their controls. However, at a finer scale, we found little evidence for any preference based on differences in microclimate, or vegetation height immediately surrounding the plants. This suggests features that alter microclimatic conditions at a larger scale are relatively more important for determining the suitability of oviposition sites. Nearly all preferences remained consistent over time and did not vary between years. Management of scrub on the reserve was able to reproduce some preferred habitat features (high plant density), but not others (large plant size).

Implications for insect conservation

The consistency of findings across years, despite inter-annual variation in temperature, rainfall and number of adults, indicates that the Duke of Burgundy is conservative in its foodplant choice, highlighting its need for specific habitat management. Targeted management for foodplants could form part of a tractable set of tools to support Duke of Burgundy numbers on reserves, but a careful balance is needed to avoid scrub clearance leaving plants in sub-optimal conditions.