bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traits and Adaptations: A Theoretical Examination and New Empirical Evidence
Authors: Henry Samuel , Mõttus René
Published: March 2020

We investigated the distinction between traits (also labelled basic tendencies or dispositions) and (characteristic) adaptations, two related features of the personality system postulated to influence how personality manifests throughout the lifespan. Traits are alleged to be universal, causal, and enduring entities that exist across cultures and through evolutionary time, whereas learned adaptations are acquired through sustained interaction with cultural, physical, and social environments. Although this distinction is central to several personality theories, they provide few measurable criteria to distinguish between traits and adaptations. Moreover, little research has endeavoured to operationalize it, let alone test it empirically. Drawing on insights from four frameworks—the Five–Factor Theory, Cybernetic Big Five Theory, Disposition–Adaptation–Environment Model, and New Big Five—we attempted to investigate the distinction both theoretically and empirically. Using various experimental rating conditions, we first scored 240 questionnaire items in their degrees of definitionally reflecting traits and/or adaptations. Next, we correlated these definitional ratings with the items’ estimates of rank–order stability, consensual validity, and heritability—criteria often associated with personality traits. We found some evidence that items rated as more trait–like and less adaptation–like correspond to higher cross–rater agreement and stability but not heritability. These associations survived controlling for items’ retest reliability, social desirability, and variance. The theoretical and empirical implications of these findings are discussed. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology
Inverse modeling of laboratory experiment to assess parameter transferability of pesticide environmental fate into outdoor experiments under paddy test systems
Authors: Kondo Kei , Wakasone Yoshiki , Iijima Kazuaki , Ohyama Kazutoshi
Published: March 2020

Background

Extraction of environmental fate parameters for pesticides by inverse modeling in laboratory experiments has evolved to become a common practice in higher tier exposure modeling. This study focuses on flooded paddy soil conditions using a simple container test system. Four active ingredients of paddy herbicide were tested. The results were parameterized and transferred to analyze the effect of formulation types on the outdoor experimental data via inverse analyses of two structurally‐compatible mathematical models, namely: pesticide concentration in paddy field for laboratory (PCPF‐LR) and PCPF for outdoors (PCPF‐1Rv1.1).

Results

After in‐laboratory calibration, the PCPF‐LR model revealed statistically acceptable or ideal simulations of pesticide concentrations in both the aqueous and soil phases (e.g. Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency > 0.7), in addition to determining the apparent sorption from the laboratory data. The extracted persistence indicators (degradation half‐life, DegT50) in the aqueous phase were 1.4–38.7 times higher than those of the dissipation (DT50) due to the exclusion of partitioning and phase transfer processes (diffusion and sorption). In the outdoor experiment, 72% of the outdoor‐calibrated simulations of the PCPF‐1Rv1.1 model, showed statistically acceptable representations of the concentrations in paddy water. Furthermore, the DegT50 as ‘bulk’ degradation in paddy water was statistically insignificant between the formulation types; however, the DT50 demonstrated statistically different results.

Conclusion

The laboratory/outdoor data interconnections using proposed modeling approach facilitate the data‐specific model calibration and analysis. These can be useful in the exposure modeling of paddy pesticide by manipulating the parameter uncertainties associated with the experimental constraints. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
System dynamics modeling in health and medicine: a systematic literature review
Authors: Darabi Negar , Hosseinichimeh Niyousha
Published: March 2020

This article reports the first systematic literature review of system dynamics (SD) applications in health and medicine published between 1960 and 2018. We categorize SD contributions into three groups—disease‐related modeling, organizational modeling, and regional health modeling—and explore major trends and approaches. We then focus on disease‐related modeling and discuss (1) common structures underlying models of infectious and noninfectious diseases, (2) major findings and modeling insights, and (3) avenues for future modeling efforts. While application areas cover a wide range of contexts, a considerable level of quality variation is observable, particularly in regards to model documentation, use of data, and model validation. While these shortcomings are not specific to SD modeling—and other schools of modeling often suffer from similar problems—we invite the community to address the issues both as authors and reviewers. Our study provides a reference document for several exemplary SD models, which is especially useful for early career modelers.

© 2020 System Dynamics Society
Orientation‐dependent nanostructuring of titanium surfaces by low‐energy ion beam erosion
Authors: Bauer Jens , Frost Frank
Published: March 2020

Regular nanoscopic ripple and dot patterns are fabricated on poly‐crystalline titanium samples by irradiation with 1.5 keV argon ions at normal incidence. The morphology of the nanostructures is investigated by scanning electron microscopy and scanning force microscopy. The ripple structures exhibit a saw‐tooth cross‐section profile. Electron backscatter diffraction experiments are performed to analyze the local grain structure. The study suggests a distinct correlation of the nanostructure morphology to the crystallographic orientation of the titanium surface.
The electronic band structure analysis of OLED device by means of in situ LEIPS and UPS combined with GCIB
Authors: Terashima Masahiro , Miyayama Takuya , Shirao Tetsuro , Mo Hin Wai , Hatae Yasuhiro , Fujimoto Hiroshi , Watanabe Katsumi
Published: March 2020

Low‐energy inverse photoelectron spectroscopy (LEIPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) incorporated into the multitechnique XPS system were used to probe the ionization potential and the electron affinity of organic materials, respectively. By utilizing gas cluster ion beam (GCIB), in situ analyses and depth profiling of LEIPS and UPS were also demonstrated. The band structures of the 10‐nm‐thick buckminsterfullerene (C60) thin film on Au (100 nm)/indium tin oxide (100 nm)/glass substrate were successfully evaluated in depth direction.
Tabular‐expression‐based method for constructing metamorphic relations
Authors: Li Jingyao , Liu Lei , Zhang Peng
Published: March 2020

Metamorphic testing (MT) is proposed to overcome the oracle problem in software testing, and metamorphic relations (MRs) are the core of MT. There is a lack of guidelines for constructing effective MRs, and it is difficult to reuse MRs mainly because most MRs are closely related to the domain knowledge. In this article, we propose a method for constructing MRs from specifications in tabular expression format. Our method constructs MRs according to the characteristics of tabular expressions, especially the relationships between the header grids and the main grid, namely, our method is domain‐independent and the construction process is simplified. In addition, the derived MRs can be applied to specifications with the same tabular expression structure. For specifications with different tabular expression structures, MRs can still be used after slight adjustments. To evaluate the performance of our method in practice, we apply the method to five applications. The experimental results demonstrate that our method is effective for a program with the oracle problem, and that it is applicable to tabular expressions in various formats. Compared with representative testing methods, our method identifies errors that are not detected by the compared methods. Hence, our method and existing methods can complement each other. The MR proposed in this article outperforms MRs constructed based on program properties.
Influence of hold‐down anchors on lateral strength of cold‐formed steel wall framing
Authors: Pan Chi‐Ling , Huang Chan‐Chang , Su Mingzhou , Peng Jui‐Lin
Published: March 2020

This study focuses on a study of cold‐formed steel wall framing installed with hold‐down anchors and subjected to lateral loads. The steel framing wall specimens were assembled with sheathing on one or both sides. Two different thicknesses of calcium silicate board were used as the sheathing material. The wall specimens were tested under both monotonic and cyclic loads. All wall specimens were fixed at both ends with hold‐down anchors. In addition to structural strength, the energy absorption, ductility ratio, overstrength factor and response modification factor were studied for all wall specimens. Previous studies in which the specimens were tested without a hold‐down anchor are discussed for comparison. The test results show that the ultimate strengths are similar for the specimens with the same configuration tested under either monotonic or cyclic loads. The wall specimen installed with hold‐down anchors has a higher ultimate strength but lower ductility ratio compared with the same configuration's wall specimen without hold‐down anchor. The response modification factor given in the AISI standard was found to be conservative for the wall framing with sheathing of calcium silicate board tested in the present study.
Disclosing genetic risk for Alzheimer's dementia to individuals with mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Christensen Kurt D. , Karlawish Jason , Roberts J. Scott , Uhlmann Wendy R. , Harkins Kristin , Wood Elisabeth M. , Obisesan Thomas O. , Le Lan Q. , Cupples L. Adrienne , Zoltick Emilie S. , Johnson Megan S. , Bradbury Margaret K. , Waterston Leo B. , Chen Clara A. , Feldman Sara , Perry Denise L. , Green Robert C. ,   for the REVEAL Study Group
Published: March 2020

Introduction

The safety of predicting conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia using apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping is unknown.

Methods

We randomized 114 individuals with MCI to receive estimates of 3‐year risk of conversion to AD dementia informed by APOE genotyping (disclosure arm) or not (non‐disclosure arm) in a non‐inferiority clinical trial. Primary outcomes were anxiety and depression scores. Secondary outcomes included other psychological measures.

Results

Upper confidence limits for randomization arm differences were 2.3 on the State Trait Anxiety Index and 0.5 on the Geriatric Depression Scale, below non‐inferiority margins of 3.3 and 1.0. Moreover, mean scores were lower in the disclosure arm than non‐disclosure arm for test‐related positive impact (difference: ‐1.9, indicating more positive feelings) and AD concern (difference: ‐0.3).

Discussion

Providing genetic information to individuals with MCI about imminent risk for AD does not increase risks of anxiety or depression and may provide psychological benefits.
Future of health diagnostics
Authors: Lim Chwee Teck
Published: March 2020

A diagnosis is often the first step to take in order to arrive at a decision on how best to treat a patient. With the emergence of new medical technologies such as wearables, big data, and artificial intelligence, the future of health diagnostics will not only be about timely and precise treatment, but also prevention.
Photocatalytic activity and water purification performance of in situ and ex situ synthesized bacterial cellulose‐CuO nanohybrids
Authors: Almasi Hadi , Mehryar Laleh , Ghadertaj Ali
Published: March 2020

The aim of this research was synthesizing of bacterial cellulose (BC) nanohybrids by incorporation of CuO‐NPs and evaluation of their ability in the removing of microbial, heavy metals, and dyes pollutants from water. CuO‐BC nanohybrids were synthesized by two in situ (sonochemical and precipitation) methods and compared with ex situ synthesized nanohybrid. FE‐SEM images revealed that the growth of CuO‐NPs in the sonochemically synthesized in situ substrate is better. The ex situ nanohybrid had the highest loading capacity (27.17 μg/cm2) but the migration of CuO‐NPs from this substrate was higher than in situ ones. According to antimicrobial tests, 80% and 90% of initial population of E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, were removed after 6 hr contact of substrates with water. The potential of the substrates in the adsorption of lead and arsenic was about 60% after 24 hr. About 75% of methylene blue and methyl orange dyes were adsorbed into substrates after 6 hr. CuO doped substrates had the photocatalytic activity and caused to decrease the oxygen content about 4%–7% during 6 hr. In general, the reusability of ex situ synthesized substrate was lower than in situ nanohybrids. Sonochemically synthesized substrate was suggested as the best nanohybrid for water purification applications in terms of morphological properties and reusability.

Practitioner points

CuO‐BC nanohybrids were prepared by in‐situ and ex‐situ methods.

Well distribution of NPs and slower release was achieved by in‐situ methods.

Antimicrobial and photocatalytic activity of ex‐situ nanohybrid was higher than in‐situ ones.

Dyes and heavy metals were removed successfully with nanohybrid substrates.

Sonochemical in‐situ nanohybrid exhibited the best water purification performance.
Modified celestial amplitude in Einstein gravity
Authors: Banerjee Shamik , Ghosh Sudip , Pandey Pranjal , Saha Arnab Priya
Published: March 2020

Abstract

In this paper we evaluate the modified celestial amplitude for gravitons and gluons, as defined in [4]. We find that the modified (tree) amplitude is finite for gravitons in Einstein gravity. The modified amplitude behaves like correlation function of operators inserted at various points of null-infinity in the Minkowski space-time. Therefore, unlike the standard celestial amplitudes, these are three dimensional objects. We also show that this amplitude admits conformal soft factorization recently studied in the literature.
Takotsubo syndrome: between evidence, myths, and misunderstandings
Authors: Napp L. Christian , Bauersachs Johann
Published: March 2020

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is an acute cardiac condition characterized by transient wall motion abnormalities mostly of the left ventricle. First described in 1990, TS has gained substantial attention during the past 15 years. However, the disease is still underdiagnosed. Prospective studies on TS are largely lacking, and the condition remains incompletely understood. In addition, significant misconceptions and misunderstandings are evident, contributing to potentially severe underestimation. Here, we review important aspects of TS with a focus on pitfalls, misinterpretations, and knowledge gaps considered important during diagnosis and management of the disease.
Effekte einer unkonventionellen Hautkrebs-Präventionskampagne
Authors: Tizek Linda , Schielein Maximilian C. , Schuster Barbara , Ziehfreund Stefanie , Biedermann Tilo , Zink Alexander
Published: March 2020

Hintergrund

Die Krankheitslast von aktinischen Keratosen und Keratinozytenkarzinomen kann durch Primär- und Sekundärprävention gesenkt werden. Allerdings finden diese Maßnahmen oft nur geringen Zuspruch, v. a. bei der Hochrisikogruppe der Außenberufstätigen.

Ziel

Ziel dieser Folgebefragung war es zu untersuchen, ob sich 1 Jahr nach einer Präventionskampagne zum Thema Sonnenschutz und Wahrnehmung von Hautveränderungen bei der Studienpopulation, insbesondere bei Außenberufstätigen, eine Verbesserung diesbezüglich feststellen ließ.

Material und Methoden

Alle Teilnehmer, die sich bei einer Studie beim Bayerischen Zentral-Landwirtschaftsfest 2016 bereit erklärten, noch einmal befragt zu werden, wurden 2017 per Post kontaktiert und erhielten den identischen Fragebogen sowie Evaluationsfragen bezüglich möglicher Verhaltensänderungen.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt nahmen 400 Personen an der Folgebefragung teil (Response-Rate 52,8 %). Von den 240 Außenberufstätigen gaben 45,0 % an, sich bewusster vor der Sonne zu schützen, und 68,8 %, bewusster auf Hautveränderungen zu achten. Etwa 85,0 % der Außenberufstätigen würden nun früher einen Dermatologen aufsuchen, und 65,8 % wünschten sich weitere Präventionskampagnen zum Thema Hautkrebs und Sonnenschutz.

Diskussion

Insgesamt gab die Mehrheit der Befragten an, ein verbessertes Sonnenschutzverhalten und eine bessere Wahrnehmung von Hautveränderungen nach der Intervention zu haben. Basierend auf den Eigenangaben, zeigte sich v. a. bei Außenberufstätigen eine Verbesserung, was die Wichtigkeit solcher zielgruppenorientierten Präventionskampagnen für die Senkung der Krankheitslast unterstreicht.
PuRSUE -from specification of robotic environments to synthesis of controllers
Authors: Bersani Marcello M. , Soldo Matteo , Menghi Claudio , Pelliccione Patrizio , Rossi Matteo
Published: March 2020

Developing robotic applications is a complex task, which requires skills that are usually only possessed by highly-qualified robotic developers. While formal methods that help developers in the creation and design of robotic applications exist, they must be explicitly customized to be impactful in the robotics domain and to support effectively the growth of the robotic market. Specifically, the robotic market is asking for techniques that: (i) enable a systematic and rigorous design of robotic applications though high-level languages; and (ii) enable the automatic synthesis of low-level controllers, which allow robots to achieve their missions. To address these problems we present the PuRSUE (Planner for RobotS in Uncontrollable Environments) approach, which aims to support developers in the rigorous and systematic design of high-level run-time control strategies for robotic applications. The approach includes PuRSUE-ML a high-level language that allows for modeling the environment, the agents deployed therein, and their missions. PuRSUE is able to check automatically whether a controller that allows robots to achieve their missions might exist and, then, it synthesizes a controller. We evaluated how PuRSUE helps designers in modeling robotic applications, the effectiveness of its automatic computation of controllers, and how the approach supports the deployment of controllers on actual robots. The evaluation is based on 13 scenarios derived from 3 different robotic applications presented in the literature. The results show that: (i) PuRSUE-ML is effective in supporting designers in the formal modeling of robotic applications compared to a direct encoding of robotic applications in low-level modeling formalisms; (ii) PuRSUE enables the automatic generation of controllers that are difficult to create manually; and (iii) the plans generated with PuRSUE are indeed effective when deployed on actual robots.
Plasticity and dystonia: a hypothesis shrouded in variability
Authors: Sadnicka Anna , Hamada Masashi
Published: March 2020

Studying plasticity mechanisms with Professor John Rothwell was a shared highlight of our careers. In this article, we discuss non-invasive brain stimulation techniques which aim to induce and quantify plasticity, the mechanisms and nature of their inherent variability and use such observations to review the idea that excessive and abnormal plasticity is a pathophysiological substrate of dystonia. We have tried to define the tone of our review by a couple of Professor John Rothwell’s many inspiring characteristics; his endless curiosity to refine knowledge and disease models by scientific exploration and his wise yet humble readiness to revise scientific doctrines when the evidence is supportive. We conclude that high variability of response to non-invasive brain stimulation plasticity protocols significantly clouds the interpretation of historical findings in dystonia research. There is an opportunity to wipe the slate clean of assumptions and armed with an informative literature in health, re-evaluate whether excessive plasticity has a causal role in the pathophysiology of dystonia.
Motor timing training improves sustained attention performance but not fluid intelligence: near but not far transfer
Authors: Karampela Olympia , Madison Guy , Holm Linus
Published: March 2020

Associations between cognitive and motor timing performance are documented in hundreds of studies. A core finding is a correlation of about − 0.3 to − 0.5 between psychometric intelligence and time interval production variability and reaction time, but the nature of the relationship remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether this relation is subject to near and far transfer across a battery of cognitive and timing tasks. These tasks were administered pre- and post-five daily 30 min sessions of sensorimotor synchronization training with feedback for every interval. The training group exhibited increased sustained attention performance in Conners’ Continuous Performance Test II, but no change in the block design and figure weights subtests from the WAIS-IV. A passive control group exhibited no change in performance on any of the timing or cognitive tests. These findings provide evidence for a direct involvement of sustained attention in motor timing as well as near transfer from synchronization to unpaced serial interval production. Implications for the timing–cognition relationship are discussed in light of various putative timing mechanisms.
Adrenal Tumors Found During Staging and Surveillance for Colorectal Cancer: Benign Incidentalomas or Metastatic Disease?
Authors: Yanagisawa Mio , Malik Dania G. , Loehfelm Thomas W. , Fananapazir Ghaneh , Corwin Michael T. , Campbell Michael J.
Published: March 2020

Objective

To evaluate the incidence of adrenal metastases in patient with colorectal cancer (CRC) and determine the clinical and radiographic features associated metastatic CRC to the adrenal glands.

Materials and Methods

The review of consecutive adults with newly diagnosed CRC found to have adrenal tumors > 1 cm in size on staging or surveillance CT scans with at least two scans to evaluate progression or stability of disease.

Results

Fifty‐eight of 856 (6.8%) CRC patients had an adrenal tumor. Forty‐three patients (74%) with 46 adrenal tumors had benign adrenal tumors, and 15 (26%) patients with 17 adrenal tumors had metastatic disease. On univariate analysis, patients with metastatic CRC had larger adrenal tumors (26.7 mm vs 12.4 mm, p < 0.01), a higher mean CEA (239 ng/mL vs 14.2 ng/mL, p = 0.03), and were more likely to have other sites of metastatic disease seen on imaging 8/43 (19%) vs 14/15 (93%), p < 0.01. On multivariable analysis, adrenal tumor size > 1.8 cm (OR 49.6 CI 8–306), CEA > 2.5 ng/mL (OR 15.8 CI 1.7–144) and other metastatic disease seen on imaging (OR 68.1 CI 7–661) were independently associated with adrenal metastases.

Conclusion

CRC patients with small adrenal tumors, normal CEA levels and no evidence of other metastatic disease are unlikely to have spread to the adrenal glands. Adrenal tumors found during staging and surveillance of CRC patients should be evaluated with appropriate imaging and biochemical analysis.
Screening dysfunktionaler Überzeugungen bei Zwangsstörungen
Authors: Meißner Claudia , Weck Florian , Kühne Franziska
Published: March 2020

Hintergrund

Dysfunktionale Überzeugungen und Bewertungen von Zwangsgedanken sind ausschlaggebend für die Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung von Zwangsstörungen. Die reliable und valide Erfassung dieser Überzeugungen mithilfe von Screeningverfahren ist für die kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutische Behandlung relevant.

Fragestellung

Ziel der Arbeit war die Erstellung eines Scoping review bezüglich der aktuellen Screeninginstrumenten zur Erfassung der 6 von der Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group (OCCWG) vorgeschlagenen Domänen bei Zwangsstörungen. Die Verfahren wurden systematisch nach ihrer psychometrischen Güte bewertet und in ihren Eigenschaften verglichen.

Material und Methoden

Die Literatursuche erfolgte in den Datenbanken Web of Science Core Collection, Google Scholar und PubMed. Eingeschlossen wurden deutsch- und englischsprachige Verfahren für Erwachsene (≥18 Jahre).

Ergebnisse

Es konnten 56 Studien zur Überprüfung der psychometrischen Eigenschaften von 16 Fragebogen eingeschlossen werden. Die Fragebogen erfassten alle Domänen dysfunktionaler Überzeugungen. Außerdem lagen 4 domänenübergreifende Verfahren vor, und 9 der Fragebogen waren deutschsprachig. Die Mehrzahl der Screeningverfahren wies adäquate bis gute psychometrische Werte auf. Die methodische Qualität der Studien war heterogen; methodische und statistische Verfahren nahmen über die Jahre an Komplexität zu.

Schlussfolgerung

Weiterer Forschungsbedarf besteht v. a. in der Untersuchung der Störungsspezifität und Änderungssensitivität von Screeningverfahren an klinischen Stichproben.
Can a New Scoring System Improve Prediction of Pulmonary Hypertension in Newly Recognised Interstitial Lung Diseases?
Authors: Sobiecka Małgorzata , Lewandowska Katarzyna , Kober Jarosław , Franczuk Monika , Skoczylas Agnieszka , Tomkowski Witold , Kuś Jan , Szturmowicz Monika
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a well-recognised complication of interstitial lung diseases (ILD), which worsens prognosis and impairs exercise capacity. Echocardiography is the most widely used, non-invasive method for PH assessment. The aim of our study was to identify the factors predictive for echocardiographic signs of PH in newly recognised ILD patients.

Methods

Ninety-three consecutive patients (28F/65M) with different ILD were prospectively evaluated from January 2009 to March 2014. Pulmonary function testing, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), initial and sixth minute room air oxygen saturation, NT-proBNP and echocardiography were assessed in each patient. Echocardiographic PH probability was determined according to the 2009 ESC/ERS guidelines.

Results

In 41 patients (Group B) increased PH possibility has been diagnosed on echocardiography, in 52 patients (Group A)—low PH probability. Most pronounced differences (p ≤ 0.0005) between groups B and A concerned: age, 6MWD, room air oxygen saturation at 6 min, DLCO and TLC/DLCO index (57.6 vs 43.8 years; 478 vs 583 m; 89.1% vs 93.4%; 54.8% predicted vs 70.5% predicted and 1.86 vs 1.44; respectively). Univariate analysis showed four-fold increased probability of PH when TLC/DLCO exceeded 1.67. A scoring system incorporating age, TLC/DLCO index, 6MWD and room air oxygen saturation at 6 min provided high diagnostic utility, AUC 0.867 (95% CI 0.792–0.867).

Conclusion

ILD patients with TLC/DLCO index > 1.67 have a high likelihood of PH and should undergo further evaluation. The composite model of PH prediction, including age, 6-min walk test and TLC/DLCO was highly specific for recognition of PH on echocardiography.
Queue Layouts of Planar 3-Trees
Authors: Alam Jawaherul Md. , Bekos Michael A. , Gronemann Martin , Kaufmann Michael , Pupyrev Sergey
Published: March 2020

A queue layout of a graph G consists of a linear order of the vertices of G and a partition of the edges of G into queues, so that no two independent edges of the same queue are nested. The queue number of graph G is defined as the minimum number of queues required by any queue layout of G. In this paper, we continue the study of the queue number of planar 3-trees, which form a well-studied subclass of planar graphs. Prior to this work, it was known that the queue number of planar 3-trees is at most seven. In this work, we improve this upper bound to five. We also show that there exist planar 3-trees whose queue number is at least four. Notably, this is the first example of a planar graph with queue number greater than three.
Radial and cylindrical symmetry of solutions to the Cahn–Hilliard equation
Authors: Rizzi Matteo
Published: March 2020

The paper is devoted to the classification of entire solutions to the Cahn–Hilliard equation $$-\Delta u=u-u^3-\delta $$-Δu=u-u3-δ in $$\mathbb {R}^N$$RN, with particular interest in those solutions whose nodal set is either bounded or contained in a cylinder. The aim is to prove either radial or cylindrical symmetry, under suitable hypothesis.
The influence of the specific growth rate on the lipid composition of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
Authors: Quehenberger Julian , Pittenauer Ernst , Allmaier Günter , Spadiut Oliver
Published: March 2020

Archaeal lipids are constituted of two isoprenoid chains connected via ether bonds to glycerol in the sn-2, 3 position. Due to these unique properties archaeal lipids are significantly more stable against high temperature, low pH, oxidation and enzymatic degradation than conventional lipids. Additionally, in members of the phylum Crenarchaeota condensation of two (monopolar) archaeal diether lipids to a single (bipolar) tetraether lipid as well as formation of cyclopentane rings in the isoprenoid core strongly reduce permeability of the crenarchaeal membranes. In this work we show that the Crenarchaeum Sulfolobus acidocaldarius changes its lipid composition as reaction to a shift in growth rate caused by nutrient limitation. We thereby identified a novel influencing factor for the lipid composition of S. acidocaldarius and were able to determine the effect of this factor on the lipid composition by using MALDI-MS for the semi-quantification of an archaeal lipidome: a shift in the specific growth rate during a controlled continuous cultivation of S. acidocaldarius from 0.011 to 0.035 h−1 led to a change in the ratio of diether to tetraether lipids from 1:3 to 1:5 and a decrease of the average number of cyclopentane rings from 5.1 to 4.6.
Investigating information seeking in ravens (Corvus corax)
Authors: Lambert Megan L. , Osvath Mathias
Published: March 2020

Measuring the responses of non-human animals to situations of uncertainty is thought to shed light on an animal’s metacognitive processes; namely, whether they monitor their own knowledge states. For example, when presented with a foraging task, great apes and macaques selectively seek information about the location of a food item when they have not seen where it was hidden, compared to when they have. We presented this same information seeking task to ravens, in which a food item was hidden in one of three containers, and subjects could either watch where the food was hidden, infer its location through visual or auditory clues, or were given no information. We found that unlike several ape species and macaques, but similar to capuchin monkeys, the ravens looked inside at least one tube on every trial, but typically only once, inside the baited tube, when they had either witnessed it being baited or could visually infer the reward’s location. In contrast, subjects looked more often within trials in which they had not witnessed the baiting or were provided with auditory cues about the reward’s location. Several potential explanations for these ceiling levels of looking are discussed, including how it may relate to the uncertainty faced by ravens when retrieving food caches.
Adoption of mobile applications for teaching-learning process in rural girls’ schools in India: an empirical study
Authors: Chatterjee Sheshadri , Majumdar Dipasree , Misra Sanjay , Damaševičius Robertas
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that can impact the adoption of mobile apps for teaching-learning process focusing on the girls’ school in rural India. The hypotheses were proposed and a conceptual model has been developed. There is a survey work conducted to collect the data from different respondents using a convenience sampling method. The model has been validated statistically through PLS-SEM analysis covering feedbacks of 271 effective respondents. The study highlights the impact of different antecedents of the behavioural intention of the students of using mobile applications for teaching-learning process. The results also show that among other issues, price value has insignificant influence on the intention of the girl students of the rural India. During survey feedbacks have been obtained from the 271 respondents, which is meagre compared to vastness of the population and school of rural India. Only few predictors have been considered leaving possibilities of inclusion of other boundary conditions to enhance the explanative power more than that has been achieved in the proposed model with the explanative power of 81%. The model has provided laudable inputs to the educational policy makers and technology enablers and administrators to understand the impact of the mobile applications on the rural girls’ school of India and facilitate the development of m-learning. Very few studies been conducted to explore the impact of mobile applications on the school education of rural India especially focusing on the girls’ schools.
The Quantity and Quality of Teachers’ Self-perceptions of Read-Aloud Practices in Norwegian First Grade Classrooms
Authors: Håland Anne , Hoem Toril Frafjord , McTigue Erin Margaret
Published: March 2020

Read-alouds are a frequent practice in early childhood classrooms and provide great potential for developing literacy skills for young learners including vocabulary, comprehension, text structure awareness, visual literacy, and fluency. Yet, any potential benefit of read-alouds depends on how the teacher enacts a read-aloud, particularly in regards to the amount and type of talk that surrounds the practice. Despite frequent use, read-alouds have not been systematically considered in Norwegian early childhood classrooms, which is the goal of this study. Specifically, 299 first-grade teachers completed a survey on read-aloud practices in December, as well as provided information on the most recently read-aloud texts in both December and May. Quantitative results were analyzed descriptively while qualitative results were analyzed via open coding. Findings indicate that read-alouds are most used as a tool for engaging and managing students rather than as a formal instructional practice. As read-alouds most typically occurred during lunch time, texts were selected primarily for entertainment and teacher talk occurred most frequently for the purpose of defining words. Conversely, teachers reported comparatively minimal use of planned (instructional) stops and reported limited focus on literacy elements. The analysis of book choices indicated that teachers used few informational texts and frequently relied on older, well-known children’s literature. Implications for this study are that although read-alouds provide much potential benefit for young learners’ literacy development, Norwegian teachers could capture underutilized benefits of this practice through greater planning and intentionality.
Ecophysiology of a successful phytoplankton competitor in the African flamingo lakes: the green alga Picocystis salinarum (Picocystophyceae)
Authors: Pálmai Tamás , Szabó Beáta , Kotut Kiplagat , Krienitz Lothar , Padisák Judit
Published: March 2020

Picocystis salinarum is a globally widespread picoplanktonic green alga of saline lakes. This tiny alga has been recorded in four continents, and in some cases, it has become the dominant phytoplankton species. We examined the ecophysiology of a Kenyan strain of P. salinarum, collected from Lake Nakuru. The photosynthetic activity of the species was measured in seventy-two combinations of light intensity and temperature. The photosynthetic activity was low along the temperature gradient with an optimum at 31.9 °C; it varied between 0.097 and 1.233 μg C μg−1 Chl a h−1. The ability of P. salinarum to utilize low light intensity (α varied between 0.0061 and 0.1 (μg C μg−1 Chl a h−1) (μmol photons m−2 s−1)−1) and its susceptibility to photoinhibition at different temperatures confirm the species’ preference for low light intensity, which is already shown by its Ik values (1.0–89.3 μmol photons m−2 s−1). The salinity tolerance of P. salinarum, more specifically the effect of changes in the concentration of chloride (NaCl) and carbonate forms (Na2CO3 and NaHCO3), was investigated in continuous cultures. The dominant ion of the medium greatly affected the growth of P. salinarum: significantly higher growth rates were recorded in carbonate form-dominated media as compared to chloride-dominated ones; the highest growth rate was observed at the highest concentration. The observed physiological properties (slow growth, low photosynthetic activity) are not typical of a dominant species; however, the high conductivity tolerance could be a key factor explaining the success of P. salinarum.
A comparative in vitro study of the effect of biospecific integrin recognition processes and substrate nanostructure on stem cell 3D spheroid formation
Authors: Perugini Valeria , Santin Matteo
Published: March 2020

The in vitro study of the properties of the human mesenchymal stem cells as well as their manipulation in culture for clinical purposes depends on the elimination of artefacts caused by the lack of their natural environment. It is now widely accepted that mesenchymal stem cells should be studied when they are organised as 3D spheroids rather than fibroblast-like colonies. Although this can be achieved with the use of some extracellular matrix proteins or by non-adherent conditions these suffer of significant limitations. The recent development of synthetic substrates resembling the physicochemical and biochemical properties of the adult stem cell niche has prompted questions about the role played by nanotopography and receptor-mediated adhesion. In the present paper, the influence of two types of substrates bearing the same nanostructure, but exposing either a non-specific or an integrin-specific binding motif was studied. Carboxybetaine-tethered hyperbranched poly(ɛ-lysine) dendrons showed that the hyperbranched structure was fundamental to induce spheroid formation, but these were forming more slowly, were of reduced size and less stable than those growing on substrates based on the same hyperbranched structures that had been functionalised at their uppermost branching generation by a laminin amino acid sequence, i.e. YIGSR. The study shows that both nanostructure and biorecognition need to be combined to achieve a substrate for stem cell spheroid formation as that observed in vivo in the adult stem cell niche.
Development of an Intervention to Create a Supportive Work Environment for Employees with Chronic Conditions: An Intervention Mapping Approach
Authors: Bosma A. R. , Boot C. R. L. , Schaafsma F. G. , Kok G. , Anema J. R.
Published: March 2020

Purpose This study describes the development of an evidence-based intervention to create a supportive work environment for employees with chronic conditions. Occupational physicians (OPs) play an important role in guiding organizations in this process of organizational change. Supportive work environments can aid in preventing work-related problems and facilitate sustainable employment. Current workplace interventions for employees with chronic conditions are mainly focused on return to work or a reduction in sick leave at the individual worker’s level. This study contributes to the literature an organizational-level intervention which utilizes a preventive approach. Methods Intervention mapping (IM) is a six-step, structured protocol that was used to develop this intervention. In step 1, a needs assessment was conducted to define the problem and explore the perspectives of all stakeholders involved. The program outcomes and the performance objectives of employees with chronic conditions and occupational physicians were specified in step 2. In step 3, appropriate methods and practical applications were chosen. Step 4 describes the actual development of the intervention, consisting of (1) a training for occupational physicians to teach them how to guide organizations in creating a supportive work environment; (2) a practical assignment; and (3) a follow-up meeting. The intervention will be implemented in a pilot study in which occupational physicians will put their acquired knowledge and skills into practice within one of their organizations, which is delineated in step 5. Conclusions IM proved to be a valuable and practical tool for the development of this intervention, aiming to facilitate sustainable employment for employees with chronic conditions.
Data Assimilation for a Quasi-Geostrophic Model with Circulation-Preserving Stochastic Transport Noise
Authors: Cotter Colin , Crisan Dan , Holm Darryl , Pan Wei , Shevchenko Igor
Published: March 2020

This paper contains the latest installment of the authors’ project on developing ensemble based data assimilation methodology for high dimensional fluid dynamics models. The algorithm presented here is a particle filter that combines model reduction, tempering, jittering, and nudging. The methodology is tested on a two-layer quasi-geostrophic model for a $$\beta $$
β
-plane channel flow with $$O(10^6)$$

O
(

10
6

)

degrees of freedom out of which only a minute fraction are noisily observed. The model is reduced by following the stochastic variational approach for geophysical fluid dynamics introduced in (Holm in Proc R Soc A 41:20140963, 2015) as a framework for deriving stochastic parameterisations for unresolved scales. The reduction is substantial: the computations are done only for $$O(10^4)$$

O
(

10
4

)

degrees of freedom. We introduce a stochastic time-stepping scheme for the two-layer model and prove its consistency in time. Then, we analyze the effect of the different procedures (tempering combined with jittering and nudging) on the performance of the data assimilation procedure using the reduced model, as well as how the dimension of the observational data (the number of “weather stations”) and the data assimilation step affect the accuracy and uncertainty of the results.
Semantic expressivism for epistemic modals
Authors: Hawke Peter , Steinert-Threlkeld Shane
Published: March 2020

Expressivists about epistemic modals deny that ‘Jane might be late’ canonically serves to express the speaker’s acceptance of a certain propositional content. Instead, they hold that it expresses a lack of acceptance (that Jane isn’t late). Prominent expressivists embrace pragmatic expressivism: the doxastic property expressed by a declarative is not helpfully identified with (any part of) that sentence’s compositional semantic value. Against this, we defend semantic expressivism about epistemic modals: the semantic value of a declarative from this domain is (partly) the property of doxastic attitudes it canonically serves to express. In support, we synthesize data from the critical literature on expressivism—largely reflecting interactions between modals and disjunctions—and present a semantic expressivism that readily predicts the data. This contrasts with salient competitors, including: pragmatic expressivism based on domain semantics or dynamic semantics; semantic expressivism à la Moss (Semant Pragmat 8(5):1–81, 2015.10.3765/sp.8.5); and the bounded relational semantics of Mandelkern (Philos Rev 128(1):1–61, 2019.10.1215/00318108-7213001).
Do fiscal rules constrain political budget cycles?
Authors: Gootjes Bram , de Haan Jakob , Jong-A-Pin Richard
Published: March 2020

We ask whether fiscal rules constrain incumbents from using fiscal policy tools for reelection purposes. Using data on fiscal rules provided by the IMF for a sample of 77 (advanced and developing) countries over the 1984–2015 period, we find that strong fiscal rules dampen political budget cycles. Our results are remarkably robust against inclusion of media freedom and the level of government debt as explanatory variables. Furthermore, we find a strong effect of fiscal rules in, amongst others, countries with fewer veto players, left-wing governments, established democracies, and more globalized economies. In addition, the effect of fiscal rules on political budget cycles seems to be stronger after the global financial crisis, reflecting post-crisis expansion in the number of countries with strong fiscal rules, notably in the European Union.
Molecular network-based intervention brings us closer to ending the HIV pandemic
Authors: Han Xiaoxu , Zhao Bin , An Minghui , Zhong Ping , Shang Hong
Published: March 2020

Precise identification of HIV transmission among populations is a key step in public health responses. However, the HIV transmission network is usually difficult to determine. HIV molecular networks can be determined by phylogenetic approach, genetic distance-based approach, and a combination of both approaches. These approaches are increasingly used to identify transmission networks among populations, reconstruct the history of HIV spread, monitor the dynamics of HIV transmission, guide targeted intervention on key subpopulations, and assess the effects of interventions. Simulation and retrospective studies have demonstrated that these molecular network-based interventions are more cost-effective than random or traditional interventions. However, we still need to address several challenges to improve the practice of molecular network-guided targeting interventions to finally end the HIV epidemic. The data remain limited or difficult to obtain, and more automatic real-time tools are required. In addition, molecular and social networks must be combined, and technical parameters and ethnic issues warrant further studies.
Introduction to special section on: current topics in cancer survivorship and work
Authors: de Boer A. G. E. M. , Greidanus M. A. , Dewa C. S. , Duijts S. F. A. , Tamminga S. J.
Published: March 2020

Work is a key contributor to quality of life and an important aspect of cancer survivorship. We call attention to current topics in cancer survivorship and work with 12 articles on cancer survivorship and work in this special section. The focus is on less studied diagnostic groups such as gastrointestinal cancer and prostate cancer, and on long-term effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment on work. Furthermore, studies are included on topics not generally studied including cognitive limitations and pain, the role of the employer on work outcomes among different types of cancer survivors and some countries not typically covered in the existing literature on work and cancer survivorship. We conclude that to improve sustainable work participation in cancer survivors, personalised, tailored interventions should be provided. A prerequisite for this is the identification of groups and individuals at high risk for adverse work outcomes. In order to develop such interventions, research involving new approaches such as matching data registries, participatory approaches and the involvement of many stakeholders and survivors with these different types of cancer diagnoses is necessary.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

The goal of sustainable work participation in cancer survivors can be improved by the delivery of a personalised or risk-based tailored intervention. Furthermore, successful work outcomes often involve many stakeholders who should all be included Implications for Cancer Survivors. The goal of sustainable work participation in cancer survivors can be improved by the delivery of a personalised or risk-based tailored intervention. Furthermore, successful work outcomes often involve many stakeholders who should all be included.