bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust estimates of regional treatment effects in multiregional randomized clinical trials with semiparametric logistic model
Authors: Yuan Ao , Yang Chaojie , Yu Shilin , Tan Ming T.
Published: August 2021

In multiregional randomized clinical trials (MRCTs), determining the regional treatment effect of a new treatment over an existing one is important to both the sponsor and related regulatory agencies. Also of particular interest is to test the null hypothesis that the treatment benefit is the same among all the regions. Existing methods are mainly for continuous endpoint and use parametric models, which are not robust. MRCTs are known for facing increased variation and heterogeneity and a robust model for its design and analysis would be desirable. We consider clinical trials with a binary primary endpoint and propose a robust semiparametric logistic model which has a known parametric and an unknown nonparametric component. The parametric component represents our prior knowledge about the model, and the nonparametric part reflects uncertainty. Compared to the classic logistic model for this problem, the proposed model has the following advantages: robust to model assumption, more flexible and accurate to model the relationship between the response and covariates, and possibly more accurate parameter estimates. The model parameters are estimated by profile maximum likelihood approach, and the null hypothesis of regional treatment difference being the same is tested by the profile likelihood ratio statistic. Asymptotic properties of the estimates are derived. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed model, which demonstrated clear advantages over the classic logistic model. The method is then applied to analyzing a real MRCT.
Commercialization‐Driven Electrodes Design for Lithium Batteries: Basic Guidance, Opportunities, and Perspectives
Authors: Cao Chunyan , Liang Fanghua , Zhang Wei , Liu Hongchao , Liu Hui , Zhang Haifeng , Mao Jiajun , Zhang Yanyan , Feng Yu , Yao Xi , Ge Mingzheng , Tang Yuxin
Published: August 2021

Current lithium‐ion battery technology is approaching the theoretical energy density limitation, which is challenged by the increasing requirements of ever‐growing energy storage market of electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and portable electronic devices. Although great progresses are made on tailoring the electrode materials from methodology to mechanism to meet the practical demands, sluggish mass transport, and charge transfer dynamics are the main bottlenecks when increasing the areal/volumetric loading multiple times to commercial level. Thus, this review presents the state‐of‐the‐art developments on rational design of the commercialization‐driven electrodes for lithium batteries. First, the basic guidance and challenges (such as electrode mechanical instability, sluggish charge diffusion, deteriorated performance, and safety concerns) on constructing the industry‐required high mass loading electrodes toward commercialization are discussed. Second, the corresponding design strategies on cathode/anode electrode materials with high mass loading are proposed to overcome these challenges without compromising energy density and cycling durability, including electrode architecture, integrated configuration, interface engineering, mechanical compression, and Li metal protection. Finally, the future trends and perspectives on commercialization‐driven electrodes are offered. These design principles and potential strategies are also promising to be applied in other energy storage and conversion systems, such as supercapacitors, and other metal‐ion batteries.
Investigations on Corrosion Properties of Ultrasound‐Enhanced Friction‐Stir‐Welded Aluminum/Dual‐Phase Steel Joints
Authors: Benfer Sigrid , Thomä Marco , Wagner Guntram , Straß Benjamin , Wolter Bernd , Fürbeth Wolfram
Published: August 2021

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid‐state joining method that is suitable for joining dissimilar materials such as aluminum and steel due to its comparatively low process temperatures. Such hybrid joints are of great interest in view of lightweight construction efforts in various industrial sectors such as transportation. As the combination of different metals in hybrid structures may cause corrosion problems in the welding area because of the formation of a galvanic couple, the corrosion properties are investigated. This work also deals with the influence of additionally transmitted power ultrasound during friction stir welding on the joint properties of AA6061/DP600. Light microscopic analysis and radiographic results show differences in the amount and size of steel particles in the near‐surface area of the joints depending on the used ultrasound power. Although the aluminum alloy and the dual‐phase steel exhibit a Volta potential difference of about 0.8 V in scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) measurements, the measured corrosion current densities on different positions of the AA6061/DP600 joints in 0.5 m sodium chloride solution are only low and no enhanced Galvanic corrosion is observed. A distinct influence of the power ultrasound on the corrosion properties is not given.
Effect of the Incorporation of Rich‐Amylopectin Starch Nano/Micro Particles on the Physicochemical Properties of Starch‐Based Nanocomposites Developed by Flat‐Die Extrusion
Authors: González‐Seligra Paula , Goyanes Silvia , Famá Lucía
Published: August 2021

Nanotechnology has been crucial in the development of environmentally friendly and naturally based materials for food packaging. In this work, an inexpensive and scalable way to develop amylopectin‐enriched nanocomposites with nano/micro particles of starch is investigated. Cassava starch nanocomposites with rich‐amylopectin starch nano/micro particles (SAP) are prepared by flat‐die extrusion. SAP, obtained by applying shear stresses to an aqueous solution of native cassava starch using grinding, consists of (10.8 ± 0.9)% of nanofiller (< 200 nm) and (88 ± 1)% of micro‐size particles (2‐10 µm). After processing, great compatibility between SAP and the matrix is achieved. Nanocomposites with 15 wt.% of SAP show increases in Young's modulus (73%), tensile stress (30%), and tensile toughness (63%), and a decrease in water vapor permeability (34%) compared to the films without SAP (TPS). The use of 30 wt.% of SAP leads to a slight increase in crystallinity without significant changes in the overall properties, as a consequence of the combination of the effects produced by the presence of nanofiller and the enrichment of the matrix in amylopectin. This investigation provides a methodology for developing amylopectin‐enriched starch nanocomposites with high compatibility between the nanofiller and the matrix as an attractive alternative for conventional starch‐based packaging.
Abnormal Detection of Pumping Unit Bearing Based on Extension Theory
Authors: Zhang Zhiming
Published: August 2021

In order to solve the problem that is difficult to extract the fault data of bearing of pumping unit in operation, a negative selection algorithm based on extension theory is proposed to detect the abnormal of bearing. First, a negative selection algorithm detector set model is constructed by using matter element. Synthetic correlation degree function is used as the matching rule of detector generation stage and bearing fault anomaly detection stage. Genetic Particle Swarm Optimization (GPSO) is used to generate detector set. Aiming at the problem of large redundancy of the detector set, the correlation function is used to formulate merging rules to merge the detector set interval. Finally, bearing anomaly detection is carried out by using the bearing fault data of Case Western Reserve University. The results show that the activation rate of the inner ring fault detector is 98.89%, the activation rate of the outer ring fault detector is 98.61%, and the activation rate of the ball fault detector is 99.17%. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
The Corona Pandemic in Central Asia
Authors: Dzhuraev Shairbek
Published: August 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has proved to be a stress test in nearly all policy areas in Central Asian states since 2020. While healthcare, education and economics were some of the early targets, the novel coronavirus also upended nations’ international agendas. Leaders’ summits, now in an online format, focused on the pandemic. More broadly, Covid-19 has turned into a major variable in debates on globalisation, institutions or global inequality that can also be illustrated by looking at cases in Central Asian countries. The pandemic has exposed the pre-existing conditions of international relations in the region, hampering regional cooperation and significantly impacting Central Asia’s relations with key extra-regional powers.
A
FB in the SMEFT: precision Z physics at the LHC
Authors: Bresó-Pla Víctor , Falkowski Adam , González-Alonso Martín
Published: August 2021

Abstract

We study the forward-backward asymmetry AFB in pp → ℓ+ℓ− at the Z peak within the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT). We find that this observable provides per mille level constraints on the vertex corrections of the Z boson to quarks, which close a flat direction in the electroweak precision SMEFT fit. Moreover, we show that current AFB data is precise enough so that its inclusion in the fit improves significantly LEP bounds even in simple New Physics setups. This demonstrates that the LHC can compete with and complement LEP when it comes to precision measurements of the Z boson properties.
The onset of thermal convection in anisotropic and rotating bidisperse porous media
Authors: Capone F. , Gentile M. , Massa G.
Published: August 2021

The onset of thermal convection in anisotropic rotating bidisperse porous media is investigated. The optimal result concerning the coincidence between linear instability and nonlinear stability thresholds with respect the $$L^2$$

L
2

-norm is obtained.
Comparison of volumetric modulated arc therapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy for left-sided whole-breast irradiation using automated planning
Authors: Redapi L. , Rossi L. , Marrazzo L. , Penninkhof J. J. , Pallotta S. , Heijmen B.
Published: August 2021

Background

Published treatment technique comparisons for postoperative left-sided whole breast irradiation (WBI) with deep-inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) are scarce, small, and inconclusive. In this study, fully automated multi-criterial plan optimization, generating a single high-quality, Pareto-optimal plan per patient and treatment technique, was used to compare for a large patient cohort 1) intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with two tangential fields and 2) volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with two small tangential subarcs.

Materials and methods

Forty-eight randomly selected patients recently treated with DIBH and 16 × 2.66 Gy were included. The optimizer was configured for the clinical planning protocol. Comparisons between IMRT and VMAT included dosimetric plan parameters, estimated excess relative risks (ERR) for toxicities, delivery times, MUs, and deliverability accuracy at a linac.

Results

The automatically generated IMRT and VMAT plans applied in this study were similar or higher in quality than the manually generated clinical plans. For equal PTVin V95% (98.4 ± 0.9%), VMAT had significant advantages compared to IMRT regarding breast dose homogeneity and doses in heart and ipsilateral lung, at the cost of some minor deteriorations for contralateral breast (few cases with larger deteriorations) and lung. Conformality improved from 1.38 to 1.18 (p < 0.001). With VMAT, ERR for major coronary events and ipsilateral lung tumors were reduced by 3% (range: −1–12%) and 16% (range: −3–38%), respectively. MUs and delivery times were higher for VMAT. There were no statistical differences in γ passing rates.

Conclusion

For WBI in conservative therapy of left-sided breast patients treated with DIBH, VMAT with two tangential subarcs was generally dosimetrically superior to IMRT with two tangential static fields. Results need confirmation by robustness analyses.
Carbon ion radiotherapy as definitive treatment in locally recurrent pancreatic cancer
Authors: Liermann Jakob , Ben-Josef Edgar , Syed Mustafa , Debus Juergen , Herfarth Klaus , Naumann Patrick
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Data on management of locally recurrent pancreatic cancer (LRPC) after primary resection are limited. Recently, surprisingly high overall survival rates were reported after irradiation with carbon ions. Here, we report on our clinical experience using carbon ion radiotherapy as definitive treatment in LRPC at the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT).

Methods

Between 2015 and 2019, we treated 13 patients with LRPC with carbon ions with a median total dose of 48 Gy (RBE) in 12 fractions using an active raster-scanning technique at a rotating gantry. No concomitant chemotherapy was administered. Overall survival, local control, and toxicity rates were evaluated 18 months after the last patient finished radiotherapy.

Results

With a median follow-up time of 9.5 months, one patient is still alive (8%). Median OS was 12.7 months. Ten patients (77%) developed distant metastases. Additionally, one local recurrence (8%) and two regional tumor recurrences (15%) were observed. The estimated 1‑year local control and locoregional control rates were 87.5% and 75%, respectively. During radiotherapy, we registered one gastrointestinal bleeding CTCAE grade III (8%) due to gastritis. The bleeding was sufficiently managed with conservative therapy. No further higher-grade acute or late toxicities were observed.

Conclusion

We demonstrate high local control rates in a rare cohort of LRPC patients treated with carbon ion radiotherapy. The observed median overall survival rate was not improved compared to historical in-house data using photon radiotherapy. This is likely due to a high rate of distant tumor progression, highlighting the necessity of additional chemotherapy.
Perceiving numerosity does not cause automatic shifts of spatial attention
Authors: Pellegrino Michele , Pinto Mario , Marson Fabio , Lasaponara Stefano , Doricchi Fabrizio
Published: August 2021

It is debated whether the representation of numbers is endowed with a directional-spatial component so that perceiving small-magnitude numbers triggers leftward shifts of attention and perceiving large-magnitude numbers rightward shifts. Contrary to initial findings, recent investigations have demonstrated that centrally presented small-magnitude and large-magnitude Arabic numbers do not cause leftward and rightward shifts of attention, respectively. Here we verified whether perceiving small or large non-symbolic numerosities (i.e., clouds of dots) drives attention to the left or the right side of space, respectively. In experiment 1, participants were presented with central small (1, 2) vs large-numerosity (8, 9) clouds of dots followed by an imperative target in the left or right side of space. In experiment 2, a central cloud of dots (i.e., five dots) was followed by the simultaneous presentation of two identical dot-clouds, one on the left and one on the right side of space. Lateral clouds were both lower (1, 2) or higher in numerosity (8, 9) than the central cloud. After a variable delay, one of the two lateral clouds turned red and participants had to signal the colour change through a unimanual response. We found that (a) in Experiment 1, the small vs large numerosity of the central cloud of dots did not speed up the detection of left vs right targets, respectively, (b) in Experiment 2, the detection of colour change was not faster in the left side of space when lateral clouds were smaller in numerosity than the central reference and in the right side when clouds were larger in numerosity. These findings show that perceiving non-symbolic numerosity does not cause automatic shifts of spatial attention and suggests no inherent association between the representation of numerosity and that of directional space.
„Frailty“ bei nephrologischen Erkrankungen
Authors: Schulte-Kemna Lena , Künzig Miriam , Dallmeier Dhayana , Denkinger Michael , van Erp René , Kächele Martin , Klaus Jochen , Schröppel Bernd
Published: August 2021

Frailty beschreibt einen Zustand reduzierter Belastbarkeit gegenüber Stressfaktoren, welcher u. a. Folge altersbedingter Abbauprozesse verschiedener Organsysteme ist und mit einem erhöhten Risiko für Stürze, Hospitalisationen, funktionelle Einschränkung und Mortalität assoziiert ist. Frailty tritt bei Patienten mit CKD früher und häufiger auf als in der Allgemeinbevölkerung und ist ein wichtiger und potenziell modifizierbarer Risikofaktor für eine erhöhte Sterblichkeit und Hospitalisationsrate sowie eine reduzierte Lebensqualität. Die Erkennung von Frailty bei Patienten mit CKD ermöglicht eine Identifikation von wichtigen und potenziell modifizierbaren Risikofaktoren.

Eine frühzeitige nephrologische Beurteilung sowie eine interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit mit Geriatern, Allgemeinmedizinern, Physiotherapeuten, Ergotherapeuten und Ernährungsberatung sind essenzielle Bausteine in der Prävention und Therapie von Frailty.

Zur Messung von Frailty existieren verschiedene Instrumente, wobei keines in der Erkennung von Frailty bei CKD-Patienten als überlegen identifiziert wurde. Die Auswahl des Screeninginstruments sollte daher unter Berücksichtigung der klinischen Rahmenbedingungen und der verfügbaren Ressourcen erfolgen. In diesem Artikel wird eine Strategie zur frühen Identifikation von gebrechlichen Patienten mit CKD vorgeschlagen, welche auf einer multidiemensionalen und interdisziplinären Einschätzung beruht. Wichtiger als die Methode ist jedoch die Notwendigkeit, Patienten mit Frailty zu identifizieren.
Optical coherence tomography-measured retinal nerve fiber layer thickness values compensated with a multivariate model and discrimination between stable and progressing glaucoma suspects
Authors: Resch Hemma , Schwarzhans Florian , Frommlet Florian , Hommer Anton , Fuchs Philipp , Vass Clemens
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Our previously introduced multivariate model, compensating for intersubject variability, was applied to circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) values measured with optical coherence tomography in glaucoma suspects with or without prior progressive optic disc (OD) change in a series of confocal scanning laser tomography (CSLT, HRT III) measurements.

Methods

In this prospective study, OD change during CSLT follow-up was determined with strict, moderate, and liberal criteria of the topographic change analysis (TCA). Model compensation (MC) as well as age compensation (AC) was applied to RNFL sectors (RNFLMC vs. RNFLAC). Diagnostic performance of RNFLMC vs. RNFLAC was tested with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) and was compared between methods.

Results

Forty-two glaucoma suspects were included. Patients without prior progressive OD change during the CSLT follow-up (= stable) had thicker RNFL thickness values in most areas and for all progression criteria. RNFLMC AUROC for the global RNFL (0.719) and the inferior quadrant (0.711) performed significantly better compared with RNFLAC AUROC (0.594 and 0.631) to discriminate between stable and progressive glaucoma suspects as defined by the moderate criteria of CSLT progression analysis (p = 0.028; p = 0.024).

Conclusion

MC showed a slight but significant improvement in detection of subjects with prior progressive OD change among a group of glaucoma suspects, when compared to AC, which is the compensation method commonly used during OCT data evaluation in daily routine. Further studies are warranted to validate the present results.
Endothelin receptors in renal interstitial cells do not contribute to the development of fibrosis during experimental kidney disease
Authors: Neder Thomas H. , Schrankl Julia , Fuchs Michaela A. A. , Broeker Katharina A. E. , Wagner Charlotte
Published: August 2021

Renal interstitial fibrosis is characterized by the development of myofibroblasts, originating from resident renal and immigrating cells. Myofibroblast formation and extracellular matrix production during kidney damage are triggered by various factors. Among these, endothelins have been discussed as potential modulators of renal fibrosis. Utilizing mouse models of adenine nephropathy (AN) and unilateral ureter occlusion (UUO), this study aimed to investigate the contribution of endothelin signaling in stromal mesenchymal resident renal interstitial cells. We found in controls that adenine feeding and UUO caused marked upregulations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) gene expression in endothelial and in tubular cells and a strong upregulation of ETA-receptor (ETA-R) gene expression in interstitial and mesangial cells, while the gene expression of ETB-receptor (ETB-R) did not change. Conditional deletion of ETA-R and ETB-R gene expression in the FoxD1 stromal cell compartment which includes interstitial cells significantly reduced renal ETA-R gene expression and moderately lowered renal ETB-R gene expression. ET receptor (ET-R) deletion exerted no apparent effects on kidney development nor on kidney function. Adenine feeding and UUO led to similar increases in profibrotic and proinflammatory gene expression in control as well as in ETAflflETBflfl FoxD1Cre+ mice (ET-Ko). In summary, our findings suggest that adenine feeding and UUO activate endothelin signaling in interstitial cells which is due to upregulated ETA-R expression and enhanced renal ET-1 production Our data also suggest that the activation of endothelin signaling in interstitial cells has less impact for the development of experimentally induced fibrosis.
Instrumental assessment of physiotherapy and onabolulinumtoxin-A on cervical and headache parameters in chronic migraine
Authors: Deodato Manuela , Granato Antonio , Borgino Caterina , Galmonte Alessandra , Manganotti Paolo
Published: August 2021

Introduction

The purpose of the present study is to compare the effect of the physiotherapy to onabolulinumtoxin-A, and their combination, in relation to cervical and headache parameters in patients with chronic migraine.

Methods

This is an observational cohort study conducted by a headache center and a physiotherapy degree course on 30 patients with chronic migraine. The patients were distributed in three groups of treatments for three months: onabolulinumtoxin-A only, physiotherapy only, and onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy. The patients were evaluated, before and after each treatment, using the following: the postural assessment software SAPO for the forward head posture; the CROM goniometer for the cervical range of motion; the Migraine Disability Assessment Score for headache parameters.

Results

After 3 months of each treatment, the scores obtained for the headache-related disability and the frequency of migraine decreased significantly for all groups, but the pain intensity scores changed significantly only in the onabolulinumtoxin-A (p = 0.01) and in the onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy groups (p = 0.007). On the other hand, the forward head posture was reduced significantly in the physiotherapy (p = 0.002) and in the onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy groups (p = 0.003). The cervical range of motion increased significantly in certain directions in the physiotherapy group and in the onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy groups.

Conclusions

The physiotherapy improved the cervical parameters. The onabolulinumtoxin-A decreased pain intensity. As a consequence, it can be said that the combined treatment was more useful than a mono-therapy alone. From our results, it can be concluded that onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy could be a good option in the management of chronic migraine.
The Great COVID-19 Divergence: Managing a Sustainable and Equitable Recovery in the EU
Authors: Claeys Grégory , Darvas Zsolt , Demertzis Maria , Wolff Guntram B.
Published: August 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the biggest global recession since the Second World War. Forecasts show the European Union underperforming economically relative to the United States and China during 2019–2023. Southern European countries have been particularly strongly affected. Some sectors have been hit harder than others. Business insolvencies have, paradoxically, fallen. While total employment has almost recovered, the young and those with low-level qualifications have suffered employment losses. Inequality could rise. The pandemic may lead to lasting changes in the economy, with more teleworking, possibly higher productivity growth and changed consumer behaviour. Policymakers must act to prevent lasting divergence within the EU and scarring due to the fallout from the pandemic. The first priority is tackling the global health emergency. Second, the article warns against premature fiscal tightening but suggests additional short-term support to prevent scarring. Third, the article warns against protectionism and advocates for reforms that boost productivity growth further.
How environmental movement constraints shape the neural code for space
Authors: Jeffery Kate J.
Published: August 2021

Study of the neural code for space in rodents has many insights to offer for how mammals, including humans, construct a mental representation of space. This code is centered on the hippocampal place cells, which are active in particular places in the environment. Place cells are informed by numerous other spatial cell types including grid cells, which provide a signal for distance and direction and are thought to help anchor the place cell signal. These neurons combine self-motion and environmental information to create and update their map-like representation. Study of their activity patterns in complex environments of varying structure has revealed that this "cognitive map" of space is not a fixed and rigid entity that permeates space, but rather is variably affected by the movement constraints of the environment. These findings are pointing toward a more flexible spatial code in which the map is adapted to the movement possibilities of the space. An as-yet-unanswered question is whether these different forms of representation have functional consequences, as suggested by an enactivist view of spatial cognition.
Facultative and obligate diapause phenotypes in populations of the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus
Authors: Schebeck Martin , Dobart Nina , Ragland Gregory J. , Schopf Axel , Stauffer Christian
Published: August 2021

The bark beetle Ips typographus is the most destructive insect pest in Norway spruce-dominated forests. Its potential to establish multiple generations per year (multivoltinism) is one major trait that makes this beetle a severe pest. Ips typographus enters diapause to adjust its life cycle to seasonally changing environments. Diapause is characterized by developmental and reproductive arrest; it prolongs generation time and thus affects voltinism. In I. typographus a facultative, photoperiod-regulated diapause in the adult stage has been described. In addition, the presence of an obligate, photoperiod-independent, diapause has been hypothesized. The diapause phenotype has important implications for I. typographus voltinism, as populations with obligate diapausing individuals would be univoltine. To test for the presence of different I. typographus diapause phenotypes, we exposed Central and Northern European individuals to a set of photoperiodic treatments. We used two ovarian traits (egg number and vitellarium size) that are associated with gonad development, to infer reproductive arrest and thus diapause. We found a distinct effect of photoperiod on ovarian development, with variable responses in Central and Northern European beetles. We observed obligate diapausing (independent of photoperiod) individuals in Northern Europe, and both facultative (photoperiod-regulated) as well as obligate diapausing individuals in Central Europe. Our results show within-species variation for diapause induction, an adaptation to match life cycles with seasonally fluctuating environmental conditions. As the diapause phenotype affects the potential number of generations per season, our data are the basis for assessing the risk of outbreaks of this destructive bark beetle.
OverlapNet: a siamese network for computing LiDAR scan similarity with applications to loop closing and localization
Authors: Chen Xieyuanli , Läbe Thomas , Milioto Andres , Röhling Timo , Behley Jens , Stachniss Cyrill
Published: August 2021

Localization and mapping are key capabilities of autonomous systems. In this paper, we propose a modified Siamese network to estimate the similarity between pairs of LiDAR scans recorded by autonomous cars. This can be used to address both, loop closing for SLAM and global localization. Our approach utilizes a deep neural network exploiting different cues generated from LiDAR data. It estimates the similarity between pairs of scans using the concept of image overlap generalized to range images and furthermore provides a relative yaw angle estimate. Based on such predictions, our method is able to detect loop closures in a SLAM system or to globally localize in a given map. For loop closure detection, we use the overlap prediction as the similarity measurement to find loop closure candidates and integrate the candidate selection into an existing SLAM system to improve the mapping performance. For global localization, we propose a novel observation model using the predictions provided by OverlapNet and integrate it into a Monte-Carlo localization framework. We evaluate our approach on multiple datasets collected using different LiDAR scanners in various environments. The experimental results show that our method can effectively detect loop closures surpassing the detection performance of state-of-the-art methods and that it generalizes well to different environments. Furthermore, our method reliably localizes a vehicle in typical urban environments globally using LiDAR data collected in different seasons.
LanguageCrawl: a generic tool for building language models upon common Crawl
Authors: Roziewski Szymon , Kozłowski Marek
Published: August 2021

The exponential growth of the internet community has resulted in the production of a vast amount of unstructured data, including web pages, blogs and social media. Such a volume consisting of hundreds of billions of words is unlikely to be analyzed by humans. In this work we introduce the tool LanguageCrawl, which allows Natural Language Processing (NLP) researchers to easily build web-scale corpora using the Common Crawl Archive—an open repository of web crawl information, which contains petabytes of data. We present three use cases in the course of this work: filtering of Polish websites, the construction of n-gram corpora and the training of a continuous skipgram language model with hierarchical softmax. Each of them has been implemented within the LanguageCrawl toolkit, with the possibility to adjust specified language and n-gram ranks. This paper focuses particularly on high computing efficiency by applying highly concurrent multitasking. Our tool utilizes effective libraries and design. LanguageCrawl has been made publicly available to enrich the current set of NLP resources. We strongly believe that our work will facilitate further NLP research, especially in under-resourced languages, in which the lack of appropriately-sized corpora is a serious hindrance to applying data-intensive methods, such as deep neural networks.
Formal specification and verification of decentralized self-adaptive systems using symmetric nets
Authors: Camilli Matteo , Capra Lorenzo
Published: August 2021

Engineering distributed self-adaptive systems is challenging due to multiple interacting components, some of which monitor and possibly modify the behavior of managed components that operate in highly dynamic settings. Formalizing such systems having a decentralized adaptation control has been recognized as a hard task. In this article, we introduce a formal framework based on Symmetric Nets (a well-established subclass of Colored Petri nets) for modeling and analyzing distributed self-adaptive discrete-event systems. Even though Petri Nets represent a sound and expressive formal model of concurrency and distribution, they cannot specify in a natural way structural changes enacted by adaptation procedures. We overcome this limitation by means of a two-layer modeling approach that enables clear separation of concerns and allows multiple decentralized adaptation procedures to be specified, validated, and verified against formal requirements. Validation and verification techniques are supported by powerful off-the-shelf tools tailored to Symmetric Nets. A self-healing manufacturing system case study is used to show applicability, advantages, and shortcomings of the approach. In particular, complexity issues are thoroughly discussed and mitigated by adopting complementary approaches based on interleaving reduction and behavioral symmetries exploitation.
Phosphorus concentrations into a subtropical lake strongly influence nitrogen accumulation, nitrogen export, and Chl a concentrations
Authors: Turner R. Eugene , Lee James M. , Milan Charles S. , Swenson Erick M.
Published: August 2021

We measured water quality monthly for 22 years in water entering, within, and exiting a 65 km2 shallow polymictic and eutrophic freshwater lake in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Fertilizer use in the watershed is the dominate source of phosphorous (P) going into the lake and controls the lake’s P concentrations, but nitrogen (N) fertilizer use was not related to total nitrogen concentration in the lake. Half of the particulate P entering the lake is trapped within it and there is a net accumulation of N that appears to be from the stimulation of nitrogen fixation. The lake’s concentration of Chlorophyll a (µg Chl a l−1) and increase in N in the lake was directly related to the concentration of P in water entering the lake. Variations in the Chl a concentration within a freshwater lake downstream are also directly related to the annual use of P fertilizer, but not to N fertilizer use. Reducing agriculture-sourced P runoff will lower (but not eliminate) both the frequency of algal blooms within Lac des Allemands and the amount of N delivered to the estuary.
Invited viewpoint: teaching programming to students in physical sciences and engineering
Authors: Cawthorne Lloyd
Published: August 2021

Computer programming is a key component of any physical science or engineering degree and is a skill sought by employers. Coding can be very appealing to these students as it is logical and another setting where they can solve problems. However, many students can often be reluctant to engage with the material as it might not interest them or they might not see how it applies to their wider study. Here, I present lessons I have learned and recommendations to increase participation in programming courses for students majoring in the physical sciences or engineering. The discussion and examples are taken from my second-year core undergraduate physics module, Introduction to Programming for Physicists, taught at The University of Manchester, UK. Teaching this course, I have developed successful solutions that can be applied to undergraduate STEM courses.
Using Bayesian Belief Networks to assess the influence of landscape connectivity on ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies in urban landscapes in the UK
Authors: Karimi James D. , Harris Jim A. , Corstanje Ron
Published: August 2021

Context

Landscape connectivity is assumed to influence ecosystem service (ES) trade-offs and synergies. However, empirical studies of the effect of landscape connectivity on ES trade-offs and synergies are limited, especially in urban areas where the interactions between patterns and processes are complex.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to use a Bayesian Belief Network approach to (1) assess whether functional connectivity drives ES trade-offs and synergies in urban areas and (2) assess the influence of connectivity on the supply of ESs.

Methods

We used circuit theory to model urban bird flow of P. major and C. caeruleus at a 2 m spatial resolution in Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes, UK, and Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) to assess the sensitivity of ES trade-offs and synergies model outputs to landscape and patch structural characteristics (patch area, connectivity and bird species abundance).

Results

We found that functional connectivity was the most influential variable in determining two of three ES trade-offs and synergies. Patch area and connectivity exerted a strong influence on ES trade-offs and synergies. Low patch area and low to moderately low connectivity were associated with high levels of ES trade-offs and synergies.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that landscape connectivity is an influential determinant of ES trade-offs and synergies and supports the conviction that larger and better-connected habitat patches increase ES provision. A BBN approach is proposed as a feasible method of ES trade-off and synergy prediction in complex landscapes. Our findings can prove to be informative for urban ES management.
A new discovery on visual information dynamic changes from V1 to V2: corner encoding
Authors: Zhong Haixin , Wang Rubin
Published: August 2021

The information processing mechanisms of the visual nervous system remain to be unsolved scientific issues in neuroscience field, owing to a lack of unified and widely accepted theory for explanation. It has been well documented that approximately 80% of the rich and complicated perceptual information from the real world is transmitted to the visual cortex, and only a small fraction of visual information reaches the primary visual cortex (V1). This, nevertheless, does not affect our visual perception. Furthermore, how neurons in the secondary visual cortex (V2) encode such a small amount of visual information has yet to be addressed. To this end, the current paper established a visual network model for retina-lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)-V1–V2 and quantitatively accounted for that response to the scarcity of visual information and encoding rules, based on the principle of neural mapping from V1 to V2. The results demonstrated that the visual information has a small degree of dynamic degradation when it is mapped from V1 to V2, during which there is a convolution calculation occurring. Therefore, visual information dynamic degradation mainly manifests itself along the pathway of the retina to V1, rather than V1 to V2. The slight changes in the visual information are attributable to the fact that the receptive fields (RFs) of V2 cannot further extract the image features. Meanwhile, despite the scarcity of visual information mapped from the retina, the RFs of V2 can still accurately respond to and encode “corner” information, due to the effects of synaptic plasticity, but the similar function does not exist in V1. This is a new discovery that has never been noticed before. To sum up, the coding of the “contour” feature (edge and corner) is achieved in the pathway of retina-LGN-V1–V2.
The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology
Authors: Luque Victor J. , Baravalle Lorenzo
Published: August 2021

Due to its high degree of complexity and its historical nature, evolutionary biology has been traditionally portrayed as a messy science. According to the supporters of such a view, evolutionary biology would be unable to formulate laws and robust theories, instead just delivering coherent narratives and local models. In this article, our aim is to challenge this view by showing how the Price equation can work as the core of a general theoretical framework for evolutionary phenomena. To support this claim, we outline some unnoticed structural similarities between physical theories (in particular, classical mechanics) and evolutionary biology. More specifically, we shall argue that the Price equation, in the same way as fundamental formalisms in physics, can serve as a heuristic principle to formulate and systematise different theories and models in evolutionary biology.
Toward E-selective Olefin Metathesis: Computational Design and Experimental Realization of Ruthenium Thio-Indolate Catalysts
Authors: Reim Immanuel , Occhipinti Giovanni , Törnroos Karl W. , Fogg Deryn E. , Jensen Vidar R.
Published: August 2021

The selective transformation of 1-alkenes into E-olefins is a long-standing challenge in olefin metathesis. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations predict high E-selectivity for catalysts incorporating a bidentate, dianionic thio-indolate ligand within a RuXX’(NHC)(py)(= CHR) platform (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene; py = pyridine). Such complexes are predicted to yield E-olefins by favoring anti-disposed substituents in the transition state expected to be rate-determining: specifically, that for cycloreversion of the metallacyclobutane intermediate. Three pyridine-stabilized catalysts Ru21a-c were synthesized, in which the thio-indolate ligand bears a H, Me, or Ph substituent at the C2 position, and the NHC ligand is the unsaturated imidazoline-2-ylidene Me2IMes (which bears N-mesityl groups and methyl groups on the C4,5 backbone). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of Ru21c confirms the ligand orientation required for E-selective metathesis, with the thio-indolate sulfur atom binding cis to the NHC, and the indolate nitrogen atom trans to the NHC. However, whereas the new complexes mediated metathetic exchange of their 2-thienylmethylidene ligand in the presence of the common metathesis substrates styrene and allylbenzene, no corresponding self-metathesis products were obtained. Only small amounts of 2-butene (73% (Z)-2-butene) were obtained in self-metathesis of propene using Ru21a. Detailed DFT analysis of this process revealed that product release is surprisingly slow, limiting the reaction rate and explaining the low metathesis activity. With the barrier to dissociation of (Z)-2-butene being lower than that of (E)-2-butene, the calculations also account for the observed Z-selectivity of Ru21a. These findings provide guidelines for catalyst redesign in pursuit of the ambitious goal of E-selective 1-alkene metathesis.

Graphic abstract
A pharmaceutical therapy recommender system enabling shared decision-making
Authors: Gräßer Felix , Tesch Falko , Schmitt Jochen , Abraham Susanne , Malberg Hagen , Zaunseder Sebastian
Published: August 2021

Data-based clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) can provide personalized support in medical applications. Such systems are expected to play an increasingly important role in the future of healthcare. Within this work, we demonstrate an exemplary CDSS which provides individualized pharmaceutical drug recommendations to physicians and patients. The core of the proposed system is a neighborhood-based collaborative filter (CF) that yields data-based recommendations. CFs are capable of integrating data at different scale levels and a multivariate outcome measure. This publication provides a detailed literature review, a holistic comparison of various implementations of CF algorithms, and a prototypical graphical user interface (GUI). We show that similarity measures, which automatically adapt to attribute weights and data distribution perform best. The illustrated user-friendly prototype is intended to graphically facilitate explainable recommendations and provide additional evidence-based information tailored to a target patient. The proposed solution or elements of it, respectively, may serve as a template for future CDSSs that support physicians to identify the most appropriate therapy and enable a shared decision-making process between physicians and patients.
The relationship between user types and gamification designs
Authors: Santos Ana Cláudia Guimarães , Oliveira Wilk , Hamari Juho , Rodrigues Luiz , Toda Armando M. , Palomino Paula T. , Isotani Seiji
Published: August 2021

Gamification has been discussed as a standout approach to improve user experience, with different studies showing that users can have different preferences over game elements according to their user types. However, relatively less is known how different kinds of users may react to different types of gamification. Therefore, in this study ($$N=331$$

N
=
331

) we investigate how user orientation (Achiever, Disruptor, Free Spirit, Philanthropist, Player, and Socializer) is associated with the preference for and perceived sense of accomplishment from different gamification designs. Beyond singular associations between the user orientation and the gamification designs, the findings indicate no comprehensive and consistent patterns of associations. From the six user orientations, five presented significant associations: Socializer orientation was positively associated with Social, Fictional, and Personal designs, while negatively associated with Performance design; Player orientation was positively associated with Social (Accomplishment), Personal, and Ecological designs, while negatively associated with the Social design (Preference); Disruptor orientation was positively associated with Social design; Achiever orientation was positively associated with Performance and Social designs; and Free Spirit orientation was negatively associated with Social design. Based on the results, we provide recommendations on how to personalize gamified systems and set further research trajectories on personalized gamification.
A multi-bioassay integrated approach to assess antifouling potential of extracts from the Mediterranean sponge Ircinia oros
Authors: De Marchi Lucia , Pretti Carlo , Cuccaro Alessia , Oliva Matteo , Tardelli Federica , Monni Gianfranca , Magri Michele , Bulleri Fabio
Published: August 2021

The phylum Porifera and their symbionts produce a wide variety of bioactive compounds, playing a central role in their ecology and evolution. In this study, four different extracts (obtained by non-polar and semi-polar extraction methodologies) of the Mediterranean spongeIrcinia oroswere tested through a multi-bioassay integrated approach to assess their antifouling potential. Tests were performed using three common species, associated with three different endpoints: the marine bacteriumAliivibrio fischeri(inhibition of bioluminescence), the marine diatomPhaeodactylum tricornutum(inhibition of growth), and different development stages of the brackish water serpulidFicopomatus enigmaticus(gametes: sperm motion, vitality inhibition and cellular damage; larvae: development; adults: AChE (acetylcholinesterase)-inhibitory activity). The effects of extracts were species specific and did not vary among different extraction methodologies. In particular, no significant reduction of bioluminescence ofA. fischeriwas observed for all tested samples. By contrast, extracts inhibitedP. tricornutumgrowth and had toxic effects on differentF. enigmaticus’ developmental stages. Our results suggest that the proposed test battery can be considered a suitable tool as bioactivity screening of marine natural products.