bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vegetation structure and food availability following disturbance in recently restored early successional plant communities
Authors: Powell Bonner L. , Buehler David A. , Moorman Christopher E. , Zobel John M. , Harper Craig A.
Published: October 2022

Fields dominated by nonnative grasses, such as tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus), are being restored to native plant communities across the eastern U.S. Upon restoration, disturbance is necessary to maintain native communities in an early seral stage, and plant response to different management practices is of interest to managers to guide habitat enhancement for various wildlife species. We evaluated effects of burning and mowing following restoration of native plant communities via 2 methods (planting native grasses and forbs and seedbank response without planting), across 11 replicated sites in Tennessee and Alabama, 2019–2020. We compared vegetation composition and structure, openness at ground level, forage availability, and nutritional carrying capacity (NCC) following 4 treatments (Seedbank Burned, Seedbank Mowed, Planted Burned, Planted Mowed, and tall fescue Control), and we related these measurements to the food and cover requirements for 3 popular game species: white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), and northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). The combination of planting and mowing increased grass coverage, whereas units that were established via seedbank response and managed by burning had greater forb coverage. Visual obstruction above 25 cm was greater in all treatments than Control, which provided cover that has been described as selected nesting cover by wild turkey and bedding cover for deer. Openness at ground level, which is especially important for bobwhite and wild turkey broods, was 30% greater in Seedbank Burned than Planted Mowed where we recorded the least openness among treatments by the second year of treatment. Similarly, coverage of bobwhite food and deer forage plant species was greatest in Seedbank Burned. Biomass (kg/ha) of plant species known to be selected as forage by deer was greater in all treatments than in Control, and NCC (deer days/ha) was greatest in Seedbank Burned by year 2. Our results highlight differences in plant composition and structure following management of early successional communities. Where possible, we encourage managers to use fire instead of mowing to maintain plant communities, especially if food plants and enhanced structure at multiple levels for bobwhite, wild turkey, and deer are management objectives. Furthermore, our results illustrate planting native grasses and forbs is not necessary to restore native early successional plant communities on most sites.
Value similarity and trustworthiness predict support for waterfowl management policy
Authors: Spears Jake G. , Wallen Kenneth E. , Osborne Douglas C.
Published: October 2022

Modern wildlife agencies increasingly emphasize efforts that facilitate the social feasibility of policy via cooperation and support among affected publics. Values and trust are critical components of policy support. Value similarity is an established concept that maps well to indicators of policy support whereas trustworthiness has received limited research attention, particularly in comparison to the variably defined concept of trust. We present a conceptual model that assesses the relationships among salient value similarity (SVS), trustworthiness (ability and benevolence), and support for wildlife policy in Arkansas, USA. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test our model among a sample of resident waterfowl hunters ≥18 years old (n = 1,596). Respondents rated the value similarity of Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), AGFC's trustworthiness in relation to waterfowl management, and support for waterfowl policy. The measurement model fit observed data well and the structural model indicated good fit between the conceptual model and observed data. Our findings indicate SVS positively influenced perceptions of trustworthiness that, in turn, positively influenced support for waterfowl policy. The significant positive influence SVS and trustworthiness have on policy support suggest important metrics agencies can proactively track and manage among affected publics. Furthermore, knowledge of how value similarity and trustworthiness interact with policy support can help agencies target involvement and engagement processes that improve social feasibility, particularly when a policy does not correspond with current expectations but are intended to benefit the long‐term socioecological sustainability of a resource.
Gluon dipole factorisation for diffractive dijets
Authors: Iancu E. , Mueller A. H. , Triantafyllopoulos D. N. , Wei S. Y.
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Within the colour dipole picture for deep inelastic scattering at small Bjorken x, we study the production of a pair of relatively hard jets via coherent diffraction. By “relatively hard” we mean that the transverse momenta of the two jets — the quark (q) and the antiquark ($$ \overline{q} $$

q
¯

) generated by the decay of the virtual photon — are much larger than the target saturation momentum Qs(Yℙ) evaluated at the rapidity gap Yℙ. We argue that the typical final-state configurations are such that the hard $$ q\overline{q} $$
q

q
¯

dijets are accompanied by a semi-hard gluon jet, with a transverse momentum of the order of Qs(Yℙ). The presence of this third jet ensures that the scattering is strong and thus avoids the strong suppression of exclusive (hard) dijet production due to colour transparency. For such “2+1” jet configurations, we demonstrate that both the emission of the semi-hard gluon and its scattering with the hadronic target can be factorised in terms of an effective gluon-gluon dipole. This effective description, originally proposed in [1–7], builds a bridge between the colour dipole picture and the transverse-momentum dependent (TMD) version of the collinear factorisation: the cross-section for diffractive 2+1 jets can be written as the product between a hard factor describing the $$ q\overline{q} $$
q

q
¯

dijets and a semi-hard factor expressing the unintegrated gluon distribution of the Pomeron. The latter is controlled by gluon dipole scattering in the black disk limit and hence is strongly sensitive to gluon saturation. By integrating out the kinematics of the 3 jets, we obtain the $$ q\overline{q}g $$
q

q
¯

g
contribution to the diffractive structure function in collinearly-factorised form.
Probing non-standard HVV (V = W, Z) couplings in single Higgs production at future electron-proton collider
Authors: Sharma Pramod , Shivaji Ambresh
Published: October 2022

Abstract

The couplings of the Higgs boson (H) with massive gauge bosons of weak interaction (V = W, Z), can be probed in single Higgs boson production at the proposed future Large Hadron-Electron Collider (LHeC). In the collision of an electron with a pro- ton, single Higgs production takes place via so-called charged-current (e−p → νeHj) and neutral-current (e−p → e−Hj) processes. We explore the potential of the azimuthal angle correlation between the forward jet and scattered neutrino or electron in probing the non-standard HVV couplings at the collider center-of-mass energy of $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

≈ 1.3 TeV. We choose the most general modifications (of CP-even and CP-odd nature) to these couplings due to new physics effects beyond the standard model. We derive exclusion limits on new physics parameters of HV V couplings as a function of integrated luminosity at 95% C.L. using the azimuthal angular correlations in charged- and neutral-current processes. We find that using 1000 fb−1 data, the standard model-like new physics parameters in HWW and HZZ couplings can be constrained with accuracies of 4% and 15%, respectively. The least constrained CP-even parameters of HWW coupling can be as large as 0.04, while those of HZZ coupling can have values around 0.31. Allowed values of CP-odd parameters in HWW and HZZ couplings are found to be around 0.14 and 0.34, respectively. We also study changes in the allowed values of non-trivial new physics parameters in the presence of other parameters.
Multi-GNSS global ionosphere modeling enhanced by virtual observation stations based on IRI-2016 model
Authors: Jin Xulei , Song Shuli , Zhou Weili , Cheng Na
Published: October 2022

The inhomogeneous distribution of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations results in inaccurate vertical total electron contents (VTECs) in global ionosphere maps (GIMs) over areas with large GNSS data gaps. Incorporating VTECs from the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model is usually adopted as one approach to mitigate the inaccurate VTECs. However, large and complicated spatiotemporal varying VTEC biases between GNSS and IRI suggest a robust strategy to optimally combine GNSS and IRI VTECs for operational high-precision modeling. Here, we thoroughly analyze the characteristics of VTEC biases between GNSS and IRI-2016 model in different latitudes from 2009 to 2019, and develop an improved functional and stochastic model. An automated assimilation strategy of GNSS and IRI-2016 VTECs is proposed for Shanghai Astronomical Observatory final GIM (SHAG) routine estimation, and the reliability of GIMs in areas with lack of stations is enhanced by attaching Virtual Observation Stations (VOSs) based on IRI-2016 model and VOS bias parameters. Experimental results show that the root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of SHAG with respect to VTECs retrieved from four independent GNSS assessment stations are reduced by 21.65–53.06% in the large data gaps with the assistance of VOSs. Furthermore, we validated the long-term reliability of SHAG spanned one solar cycle (2009–2019) with International GNSS Service (IGS) final GIMs and satellite altimetry VTECs. Validation results suggest that SHAG is in good agreement with IGS final GIMs, and reliability of SHAG in large GNSS data gap areas is significantly improved by attaching VOSs and biases. This methodology also represents an efficient tool for automated global ionospheric modeling integrating multi-source data.
Combination of different observation types through a multi-resolution representation of the regional gravity field using the pyramid algorithm and parameter estimation
Authors: Liu Qing , Schmidt Michael , Sánchez Laura
Published: October 2022

The optimal combination of different types of gravity observations is the key to obtaining a high-resolution and high-precision regional gravity model. Current studies based on spherical radial basis functions (SRBFs) majorly consider a single-level approach for data combination. Despite the promising results reported in numerous publications, it has been suspected that the single-level model might be biased towards high-resolution measurements. Instead, a multi-resolution representation (MRR) can be applied to further take into consideration the varying spectral sensitivities of different observation techniques. In this study, we develop a new MRR scheme based on the pyramid algorithm and sequential parameter estimation. We propose strategies to solve the challenges in the practical application of the pyramid algorithm, and this study represents its first successful realization in regional gravity field modeling. The modeling results based on both simulated and real gravity data show that either the single-level approach or the MRR without pyramid algorithm is able to capture gravity information from lower resolution measurements as sufficient as our newly developed MRR algorithm. In the simulated case, the RMS error w.r.t. the validation data obtained by the MRR based on the pyramid algorithm decreases by 50% and 35%, in comparison to that of the single-level model and the MRR without pyramid algorithm, respectively. In the real case, the improvement achieved by the MRR based on the pyramid algorithm is 35% and 23% in the onshore area, and it reaches 63% and 57% in the offshore area, compared to the single-level approach and the MRR without pyramid algorithm, respectively.
Oral bioavailability of microdoses and therapeutic doses of midazolam as a 2-dimensionally printed orodispersible film in healthy volunteers
Authors: Breithaupt Mareile H. , Krohmer Evelyn , Taylor Lenka , Koerner Eva , Hoppe-Tichy Torsten , Burhenne Juergen , Foerster Kathrin I. , Dachtler Markus , Huber Gerald , Venkatesh Rakesh , Eggenreich Karin , Czock David , Mikus Gerd , Blank Antje , Haefeli Walter E.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The use of two-dimensional (2D) printing technologies of drugs on orodispersible films (ODF) can promote dose individualization and facilitate drug delivery in vulnerable patients, including children. We investigated midazolam pharmacokinetics after the administration of 2D-printed ODF.

Methods

Midazolam doses of 0.03 and 3 mg were printed on an ODF using a 2D drug printer. We investigated the bioavailability of the two midazolam doses with ODF swallowed immediately (ODF-IS) or delayed after 2 min (ODF-DS) by comparing their pharmacokinetics with intravenous and oral midazolam solution in 12 healthy volunteers.

Results

The relative bioavailability of ODF-IS 0.03 mg was 102% (90% confidence interval: 89.4–116) compared to oral solution and for 3 mg 101% (86.8–116). Cmax of ODF-IS 0.03 mg was 95.5% (83.2–110) compared to oral solution and 94.3% (78.2–114) after 3 mg. Absolute bioavailability of ODF-IS 0.03 mg was 24.9% (21.2–29.2) and for 3 mg 28.1% (23.4–33.8) (oral solution: 0.03 mg: 24.4% (22.0–27.1); 3 mg: 28.0% (25.0–31.2)). Absolute bioavailability of ODF-DS was significantly larger than for ODF-IS (0.03 mg: 61.4%; 3 mg: 44.1%; both p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

This trial demonstrates the tolerability and unchanged bioavailability of midazolam printed on ODF over a 100-fold dose range, proving the suitability of ODF for dose individualization. Midazolam ODF-IS AUC0–∞ in both doses was bioequivalent to the administration of an oral solution. However, Cmax of the therapeutic dose of ODF-IS missed bioequivalence by a clinically not relevant extent. Prolonged mucosal exposure increased bioavailability. (Trial Registration EudraCT: 2020–003984-24, August 10, 2020).
Permanence via invasion graphs: incorporating community assembly into modern coexistence theory
Authors: Hofbauer Josef , Schreiber Sebastian J.
Published: October 2022

To understand the mechanisms underlying species coexistence, ecologists often study invasion growth rates of theoretical and data-driven models. These growth rates correspond to average per-capita growth rates of one species with respect to an ergodic measure supporting other species. In the ecological literature, coexistence often is equated with the invasion growth rates being positive. Intuitively, positive invasion growth rates ensure that species recover from being rare. To provide a mathematically rigorous framework for this approach, we prove theorems that answer two questions: (i) When do the signs of the invasion growth rates determine coexistence? (ii) When signs are sufficient, which invasion growth rates need to be positive? We focus on deterministic models and equate coexistence with permanence, i.e., a global attractor bounded away from extinction. For models satisfying certain technical assumptions, we introduce invasion graphs where vertices correspond to proper subsets of species (communities) supporting an ergodic measure and directed edges correspond to potential transitions between communities due to invasions by missing species. These directed edges are determined by the signs of invasion growth rates. When the invasion graph is acyclic (i.e. there is no sequence of invasions starting and ending at the same community), we show that permanence is determined by the signs of the invasion growth rates. In this case, permanence is characterized by the invasibility of all$$-i$$-icommunities, i.e., communities without speciesiwhere all other missing species have negative invasion growth rates. To illustrate the applicability of the results, we show that dissipative Lotka-Volterra models generically satisfy our technical assumptions and computing their invasion graphs reduces to solving systems of linear equations. We also apply our results to models of competing species with pulsed resources or sharing a predator that exhibits switching behavior. Open problems for both deterministic and stochastic models are discussed. Our results highlight the importance of using concepts about community assembly to study coexistence.
Large-scale circulation patterns and their influence on European winter windstorm predictions
Authors: Degenhardt Lisa , Leckebusch Gregor C. , Scaife Adam A.
Published: October 2022

Severe winter windstorms are amongst the most damaging weather events for Europe and show significant interannual variability. While surface variables (temperature, precipitation) have been successfully predicted for some time now, predictability of severe windstorms caused by extra-tropical cyclones remains less well explored. This study investigates windstorm prediction skill of the UK Met Office Global Seasonal Forecast System Version 5 (GloSea5) for the Northeast-Atlantic and European region. Based on an objective Lagrangian tracking of severe, damage relevant windstorms, three storm parameters are analysed: windstorm frequency and two intensity measures. Firstly, skill based on direct tracking of simulated windstorms is diagnosed. Significant positive skill for storm frequency and intensity is found over an extended area at the downstream end of the storm track, i.e., from the UK to southern Scandinavia. The skill for frequency agrees well with previous studies for older model versions, while the results of event-based intensity are novel. Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves for three smaller regions reveal significant skill for high and low storm activity seasons. Second, skill of windstorm characteristics based on their multi-linear regressions to three dominant large-scale circulation patterns [i.e., the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Scandinavian Pattern (SCA), and the East-Atlantic Pattern (EA)] are analysed. Although these large-scale patterns explain up to 80% of the interannual variance of windstorm frequency and up to 60% for intensity, the forecast skill for the respectively linear-regressed windstorms do not show systematically higher skill than the direct tracking approach. The signal-to-noise ratio of windstorm characteristics (frequency, intensity) is also quantified, confirming that the signal-to-noise paradox extends to windstorm predictions.
What may surprise a rhinologist in everyday clinical practice: silent sinus syndrome or pneumosinus dilatans/pneumocele? Literature review and own experience
Authors: Stryjewska-Makuch Grażyna , Kokoszka Magdalena , Goroszkiewicz Karolina , Karłowska-Bijak Olga , Kolebacz Bogdan , Misiołek Maciej
Published: October 2022

Background

The aim of the study was to present rare sinus syndromes known as silent sinus syndrome (SSS) and frontal sinus syndrome with excessive pneumatization and bone defects in the wall (pneumocele). The available literature describing pneumocele cases was reviewed.

Methodology

PubMed and Science Direct databases were searched by two independent reviewers. The primary outcome was finding descriptions of the sinus pneumocele. In the end, papers on frontal sinus pneumocele that was not the result of trauma, congenital defects or comorbidities were selected. Moreover, the authors presented their own cases of SSS and pneumocele.

Results

Twelve case reports of frontal sinus pneumocele were found, one own case was presented. In addition, 8 subjects with SSS, diagnosed and treated in the period from September 2017 to May 2022, were described.

Conclusions

With the increasing number of patients suffering from sinus diseases and the growing number of endoscopic surgeries, the knowledge of rare sinus syndromes will increase the safety of the procedures performed.
Vestibular paroxysmia entails vestibular nerve function, microstructure and endolymphatic space changes linked to root-entry zone neurovascular compression
Authors: Kierig Emilie , Gerb Johannes , Boegle Rainer , Ertl-Wagner Birgit , Dieterich Marianne , Kirsch Valerie
Published: October 2022

Combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences that permit the determination of vestibular nerve angulation (NA = change of nerve caliber or direction), structural nerve integrity via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and exclusion of endolymphatic hydrops (ELH) via delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the inner ear (iMRI) could increase the diagnostic accuracy in patients with vestibular paroxysmia (VP). Thirty-six participants were examined, 18 with VP (52.6 ± 18.1 years) and 18 age-matched with normal vestibulocochlear testing (NP 50.3 ± 16.5 years). This study investigated whether (i) NA, (ii) DTI changes, or (iii) ELH occur in VP, and (iv) to what extent said parameters relate. Methods included vestibulocochlear testing and MRI data analyses for neurovascular compression (NVC) and NA verification, DTI and ELS quantification. As a result, (i) NA increased NVC specificity. (ii) DTI structural integrity was reduced on the side affected by VP (p < 0.05). (iii) 61.1% VP showed mild ELH and higher asymmetry indices than NP (p > 0.05). (iv) “Disease duration” and “total number of attacks” correlated with the decreased structural integrity of the affected nerve in DTI (p < 0.001). NVC distance within the nerve’s root-entry zone correlated with nerve function (Roh = 0.72, p < 0.001), nerve integrity loss (Roh = − 0.638, p < 0.001), and ELS volume (Roh = − 0.604, p < 0.001) in VP. In conclusion, this study is the first to link eighth cranial nerve function, microstructure, and ELS changes in VP to clinical features and increased vulnerability of NVC in the root-entry zone. Combined MRI with NVC or NA verification, DTI and ELS quantification increased the diagnostic accuracy at group-level but did not suffice to diagnose VP on a single-subject level due to individual variability and lack of diagnostic specificity.
Real-life data of adjuvant IFN-α2b and MMC in conjunctival melanocytic lesions
Authors: Nuessle Simone , Auw-Haedrich Claudia , Jiang Jana , Boehringer Daniel , Reinhard Thomas
Published: October 2022

Purpose

We herein compare topical interferon alpha 2b (IFN-α2b) to topical mitomycin C (MMC) in the adjuvant management after excision of primary acquired melanosis with atypia (PAM) and melanoma of the conjunctiva/cornea (CM).

Methods

We included 25 tumors from 25 patients (six with PAM and 19 with CM). After surgical excision, four patients started with adjuvant IFN-α2b (two in combination with radiotherapy), 19 with MMC, and two with radiotherapy alone. Five patients were switched from initial MMC/radiotherapy to IFN-α2b during follow-up. Efficacy was assessed via time to tumor recurrence and initial therapy response.

Results

With initial IFN-α2b, three patients (3/4, two with additional radiotherapy) showed complete remission (follow-up: 1478–1750 days) and one recurrence (1/4) was noted after 492 days. With initial MMC, no recurrence was recorded in 15 of the 19 patients (follow-up: 99–4732 days). Five patients were switched from MMC or radiotherapy to IFN-α2b: two patients showed complete remission (2/5), while another two (2/5) experienced recurrences and remained without recurrence after repeated courses of IFN-α2b (follow-up: 1798 and 1973 days). Only one patient showed incomplete response. Adverse effects were recorded in five patients, all received MMC.

Conclusion

Topical IFN-α2b (arguably together with radiotherapy) may be a viable alternative to MMC in PAM and CM. We observed fewer side effects at similar response rates. However, when response to MMC was poor, IFN-α2b may also be of limited utility.
Profiles of women who have suffered occupational accidents in cleaning: perceived health, psychosocial risks, and personality variables
Authors: Fernández-Suárez Iván , López-Goñi José J. , Haro Begoña
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The main goal was to identify the variables (sociodemographic, work, psychosocial, perceived health, and personality) associated with occupational accidents suffered in the past by women in the cleaning sector.

Methods

A sample of 455 women was evaluated.

Results

A total of 23.5% of the workers (n = 107) had suffered an occupational accident with medical leave. In general, women who had suffered some accident in their life had a worse situation in all areas evaluated. Two subsamples of women had a greater association with accidents. Specifically, the presence of work accidents was 15.9 times higher among those who presented a worse perception of their physical effort and a greater tendency towards risky behaviours and 13.5 times higher among those who had a moderate perception of physical exertion and a disability.

Conclusion

In general, the characteristics of female workers were found to be associated with different accident rates. Preventive actions should be designed individually.
Freestanding 3D-interconnected carbon nanofibers as high-performance transducers in miniaturized electrochemical sensors
Authors: Perju Antonia , Baeumner Antje J. , Wongkaew Nongnoot
Published: October 2022

3D-carbon nanomaterials have proven to be high-performance transducers in electrochemical sensors but their integration into miniaturized devices is challenging. Herein, we develop printable freestanding laser-induced carbon nanofibers (f-LCNFs) with outstanding analytical performance that furthermore can easily allow such miniaturization through a paper-based microfluidic strategy. The f-LCNF electrodes were generated from electrospun polyimide nanofibers and one-step laser carbonization. A three-electrode system made of f-LCNFs exhibited a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 1 nM (S/N = 8) for anodic stripping analysis of silver ions, exhibiting the peak at ca. 100 mV vs f-LCNFs RE, without the need of stirring. The as-described system was implemented in miniaturized devices via wax-based printing, in which their electroanalytical performance was characterized for both outer- and inner-sphere redox markers and then applied to the detection of dopamine (the peak appeared at ca. 200 mV vs f-LCNFs RE) with a remarkable LOD of 55 pM. When modified with Nafion, the f-LCNFs were highly selective to dopamine even against high concentrations of uric and ascorbic acids. Especially the integration into closed microfluidic systems highlights the strength 3D porous structures provides excellent analytical performance paving the way for their translation to affordable lab-on-a-chip devices where mass-production capability, unsophisticated fabrication techniques, transfer-free, and customized electrode designs can be realized.

Graphical abstract
Coronary computed tomography angiography-based endothelial wall shear stress in normal coronary arteries
Authors: Schultz Jussi , van den Hoogen Inge J. , Kuneman Jurrien H. , de Graaf Michiel A. , Kamperidis Vasileios , Broersen Alexander , Jukema J. Wouter , Sakellarios Antonis , Nikopoulos Sotirios , Tsarapatsani Konstantina , Naka Katerina , Michalis Lampros , Fotiadis Dimitrios I. , Maaniitty Teemu , Saraste Antti , Bax Jeroen J. , Knuuti Juhani
Published: October 2022

Endothelial wall shear stress (ESS) is a biomechanical force which plays a role in the formation and evolution of atherosclerotic lesions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)-based ESS in coronary arteries without atherosclerosis, and to assess factors affecting ESS values. CCTA images from patients with suspected coronary artery disease were analyzed to identify coronary arteries without atherosclerosis. Minimal and maximal ESS values were calculated for 3-mm segments. Factors potentially affecting ESS values were examined, including sex, lumen diameter and distance from the ostium. Segments were categorized according to lumen diameter tertiles into small (< 2.6 mm), intermediate (2.6–3.2 mm) or large (≥ 3.2 mm) segments. A total of 349 normal vessels from 168 patients (mean age 59 ± 9 years, 39% men) were included. ESS was highest in the left anterior descending artery compared to the left circumflex artery and right coronary artery (minimal ESS 2.3 Pa vs. 1.9 Pa vs. 1.6 Pa, p < 0.001 and maximal ESS 3.7 Pa vs. 3.0 Pa vs. 2.5 Pa, p < 0.001). Men had lower ESS values than women, also after adjusting for lumen diameter (p < 0.001). ESS values were highest in small segments compared to intermediate or large segments (minimal ESS 3.8 Pa vs. 1.7 Pa vs. 1.2 Pa, p < 0.001 and maximal ESS 6.0 Pa vs. 2.6 Pa vs. 2.0 Pa, p < 0.001). A weak to strong correlation was found between ESS and distance from the ostium (ρ = 0.22–0.62, p < 0.001). CCTA-based ESS values increase rapidly and become widely scattered with decreasing lumen diameter. This needs to be taken into account when assessing the added value of ESS beyond lumen diameter in highly stenotic lesions.
Gray whale density during seismic surveys near their Sakhalin feeding ground
Authors: Gailey Glenn , Zykov Mikhail , Sychenko Olga , Rutenko Alexander , Blanchard Arny L. , Aerts Lisanne , Melton Rodger H.
Published: October 2022

Oil and gas development off northeastern Sakhalin Island, Russia, has exposed the western gray whale population on their summer-fall foraging grounds to a range of anthropogenic activities, such as pile driving, dredging, pipeline installation, and seismic surveys. In 2015, the number of seismic surveys within a feeding season surpassed the level of the number and duration of previous seismic survey activities known to have occurred close to the gray whales’ feeding ground, with the potential to cause disturbance to their feeding activity. To examine the extent that gray whales were potentially avoiding areas when exposed to seismic and vessel sounds, shore-based teams monitored the abundance and distribution of gray whales from 13 stations that encompassed the known nearshore feeding area. Gray whale density was examined in relation to natural (spatial, temporal, and prey energy) and anthropogenic (cumulative sound exposure from vessel and seismic sounds) explanatory variables using Generalized Additive Models (GAM). Distance from shore, water depth, date, and northing explained a significant amount of variation in gray whale densities. Prey energy from crustaceans, specifically amphipods, isopods, and cumaceans also significantly influenced gray whale densities in the nearshore feeding area. Increasing cumulative exposure to vessel and seismic sounds resulted in both a short- and longer-term decline in gray whale density in an area. This study provides further insights about western gray whale responses to anthropogenic activity in proximity to and within the nearshore feeding area. As the frequency of seismic surveys and other non-oil and gas anthropogenic activity are expected to increase off Sakhalin Island, it is critical to continue to monitor and assess potential impacts on this endangered population of gray whales.
Leaf-associated macroinvertebrate assemblage and leaf litter breakdown in headwater streams depend on local riparian vegetation
Authors: Oester Rebecca , dos Reis Oliveira Paula C. , Moretti Marcelo S. , Altermatt Florian , Bruder Andreas
Published: October 2022

Headwater streams harbor diverse macroinvertebrate communities and are hotspots for leaf litter breakdown. The process of leaf litter breakdown mediated by macroinvertebrates forms an important link between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Yet, how the vegetation type in the local riparian zone influences leaf-associated macroinvertebrate assemblages and leaf litter breakdown rates is still not resolved. We investigated how leaf-associated macroinvertebrate assemblages and leaf litter fragmentation rates differ between forested and non-forested sites using experimental leaf litter bags in sixteen sites paired across eight headwater streams in Switzerland. Our results show that sensitive taxa of the invertebrate orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) and the functional group of shredders were strongly associated with forested sites with overall higher values of abundance, diversity, and biomass of EPTs in forested compared to non-forested sites. However, the importance of riparian vegetation differed between study regions, especially for shredders. Fragmentation rates, which are primarily the result of macroinvertebrate shredding, were on average three times higher in forested compared to non-forested sites. Our results demonstrate that not only the composition of the aquatic fauna but also the functioning of an essential ecosystem process depend on the vegetation type in the local riparian zone.
What Pre-clinical Rat Models Can Tell Us About Anxiety Across the Menstrual Cycle in Healthy and Clinically Anxious Humans
Authors: Pestana Jodie E. , Islam Nusaibah , Van der Eyk Natasha L. , Graham Bronwyn M.
Published: October 2022

Purpose of Review

Anxiety symptoms increase during the peri-menstrual phase of the menstrual cycle in people with anxiety disorders. Whether this reflects a heightened variant of normal menstrual-related changes in psychological states experienced by healthy (i.e. non-anxious) people is unknown. Moreover, menstrual-related change in anxiety symptoms is a poorly understood phenomenon, highlighting a need for pre-clinical models to aid mechanistic discovery. Here, we review recent evidence for menstrual effects on anxiety-like features in healthy humans as a counterpart to recent reviews that have focused on clinically anxious populations. We appraise the utility of rodent models to identify mechanisms of menstrual effects on anxiety and offer suggestions to harmonise methodological practices across species to advance knowledge in this field.

Recent Findings

Consistent with reports in clinical populations, some evidence indicates anxiety symptoms increase during the peri-menstrual period in healthy people, although null results have been reported, and these effects are heterogeneous across studies and individuals. Studies in rats show robust increases in anxiety during analogous phases of the oestrous cycle.

Studies in female rats are useful to identify the evolutionarily conserved biological mechanisms of menstrual-related changes in anxiety. Future experimental approaches in rats should model the heterogeneity observed in human studies to increase alignment across species and advance understanding of the individual factors that increase the propensity to experience menstrual-related changes in anxiety.
Update on Treatment Options for Stuttering Priapism
Authors: Hammad Muhammed A. Moukhtar , Soltanzadeh Zarandi Sina , Barham David W. , Yafi Faysal A.
Published: October 2022

Purpose of Review

There is a paucity of peer-reviewed evidence to guide medical management of stuttering priapism. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current understanding regarding the pathophysiology of priapism and management options for stuttering priapism.

Recent Findings

Conducting large-scale, randomized, placebo-controlled trials that elucidate the optimal treatment of stuttering priapism is challenging. Therefore, recent treatment guidelines are based upon small case series, retrospective studies, and expert opinions. Nonetheless, multiple compounds from various drug classes have shown promise in treating stuttering priapism, and a few pharmacotherapies such as Crizanlizumab are currently under active investigation.

Stuttering priapism is an under-investigated disorder with a complex pathophysiology. Currently, there is no wildly adopted universal therapeutic strategy. Further research is warranted to identify the appropriate treatment of stuttering priapism and to determine the long-term side effects of current pharmacotherapies.
Characterizing passenger-ship emissions: towards improved sustainability for MedMar fleet (gulf of Naples)
Authors: Spagnuolo Antonio , De Santo Giuseppe , Vetromile Carmela , Masiello Antonio , Di Costanzo Pierluigi , Esposito Salvatore , Buono Umberto , di Cicco Maria Rosa , Lubritto Carmine
Published: October 2022

Promoting energetic and environmental sustainability in the naval sector requires a necessary understanding of the energy demand of vessels and of the factors affecting it. This article shows the results of a study conducted by the shipping company MedMar aimed at acquiring a detailed analysis of the energetic performances of its fleet. The study involved the analysis of fuel consumption and emissions of the fleet using a specific software and under different scenarios, assuming the navigation speed and the cargo level of the vessels as reference parameters. Simulations also provided a comparison, concerning emissions and externalities, between ships and two different means of transport. The purpose of this study was to identify potential areas of improvement, where ad hoc strategies could be used to further optimise the energetic and environmental performance of MedMar fleet and mitigate its impact on the delicate ecosystem of the gulf of Naples, where the fleet sails.
Antelope adaptations to counteract overheating and water deficit in arid environments
Authors: Blank David , Li Yaoming
Published: October 2022

Many arid areas have very severe climates with extremely high summer temperatures, strong solar radiation, and a lack of drinking water during the driest season. Therefore, antelopes living in arid areas are forced to solve two main problems: avoiding overheating and maintaining water balance. Generally, there are physiological, morphological, and behavioral mechanisms for antelope adaptations to arid environments. Among the mechanisms, behavioral adjustments have a minimal cost and are activated first, while physiological mechanisms are the most energetically costly and involve adaptations to high temperatures when other mechanisms are insufficient. In previous publications, some examples of the antelope behavioral adaptations have been described only rarely, while in this review, we try to clarify all available information on the adaptations of antelopes living in arid areas to their native environments, paying particular attention to behavioral adjustments. Behavioral mechanisms, especially daily activity, diet and microclimate selection, and migrations, are so important and commonly used by antelopes in natural conditions, in which physiological mechanisms are usually not involved. Antelopes adjust their behaviors according to environmental changes so successfully that purely physiological mechanisms are discovered under laboratory conditions; for example, adaptive heterothermia or selective brain cooling phenomenon is difficult to observe in their natural habitats. This review provides a better understanding of the main behavioral mechanisms of antelope adaptations to arid environments and allows for the identification of the key factors for successful conservation of antelopes in their natural habitats.
Alternative High-Performance Fibers for Nonwoven HEPA Filter Media
Authors: Beckman Ivan P. , Berry Gentry , Cho Heejin , Riveros Guillermo
Published: October 2022

Continual research, development, and advancement in air filtration technology is important to abate the ever increasing health hazards of air pollution and global pandemics. The purpose of this review is to survey, categorize, and compare mechanical and thermal characteristics of fibers to assess their potential applicability in air filter media. The history of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter development explains how we arrived at the current state of the art nonwoven fibrous borosilicate glass filter paper. This review explores the history and practical uses of particular fiber types and explains fiber production methods in general terms. The thermal and mechanical properties of particular fibers are examined using the codes and standards produced by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) to generalize the applicability of fiber categories for HEPA filter units within the nuclear air cleaning industry. This review discusses common measurements for specific strength and tenacity used by the textile and construction industries. Particular fibers are selectively compared for density, tensile strength, tensile stiffness, flexural rigidity, moisture regain, decomposition temperature, and thermal expansion. This review concludes with a subjective assessment of which types of fibers may be appropriate to study for HEPA filtration.
Higher integrability for doubly nonlinear parabolic systems
Authors: Bögelein Verena , Duzaar Frank , Scheven Christoph
Published: October 2022

In this paper we establish a local higher integrability result for the spatial gradient of weak solutions to doubly nonlinear parabolic systems. The proof is based on a new intrinsic scaling that involves both the solution and its spatial gradient. It allows to compensate for the different scaling of the system in |u| and |Du|. The result covers the range of parameters $$p>\frac{2n}{n+2}$$

p
>

2
n

n
+
2

and $$0<q\le 1$$

0
<
q
≤
1

.
THE TELLING NAME OF THE SUMERIAN GOD ISIMU THE MESOPOTAMIAN JANUS
Authors: Keetman Jan
Published: October 2022

In this article the name of the Sumerian god Isimu is analysed as “who brings the shoots forth” and explained by the chthonic character of his master Enki. Investigated is as well the ratio behind the complex writing of his name and the names of other servants of Enki. Beside this it is shown that Isimu must have been known at least since the time of the archaic texts from Ur. There was also another Janus like mythical being, the male and female Ara, at one point identified with Isimu.
Making Sense of a Surprise: Perspectives on the 2020 “Belarusian Revolution”
Authors: Stykow Petra
Published: October 2022

Drawing on three theoretical perspectives—“protest-democracy,” “authoritarian/patronal regime dynamics,” and “contentious politics”—developed in the study of popular protests in post-Soviet electoral autocracies, this article argues, first, that the 2020 postelection mobilization in Belarus was not to be expected for both structural and agency-related reasons. Second, by the summer of 2020, the political opportunity structure had opened up because of contingent choices by individual actors, with Alyaksandr Lukashenka committing several major mistakes, particularly on pandemic (non)control and the administration of the upcoming presidential election, and political newcomers taking on the role of challenging him. After the election, mass mobilization unfolded in two waves triggered by two additional regime mistakes: blatant electoral fraud and excessive repression. These mistakes served as focal points for spontaneous coordination, substituting for the deliberate “engineering” of protest by an organized opposition typical of the post-Soviet color revolutions. Third, Lukashenka survived in office because popular protests did not lead to elite defection. Instead, he was able to secure the loyalty of elites because he avoided gross blunders against both regime insiders and Russia. The case of Belarus indicates that hegemonic-authoritarian regimes are more vulnerable to mistakes by incumbents than to challenges from below and outside the regime.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on inflammation in depressive illness and symptoms in chronic and end-stage kidney disease
Authors: Jayakumar Simone , Jennings Stacey , Halvorsrud Kristoffer , Clesse Christophe , Yaqoob Muhammad Magdi , Carvalho Livia A. , Bhui Kamaldeep
Published: October 2022

Background

Depression affects approximately 27% of adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney failure (ESKF). Depression in this population is associated with impaired quality of life and increased mortality. The extent of inflammation and the impact on depression in CKD/ESKF is yet to be established. Through a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, we aim to understand the relationship between depression and inflammation in CKD/ESKF patients.

Methods

We searched nine electronic databases for published studies until January 2022. Titles and abstracts were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extraction and study quality assessment was carried out independently by two reviewers. A meta-analysis was carried out where appropriate; otherwise a narrative review of studies was completed.

Results

Sixty studies met our inclusion criteria and entered the review (9481 patients included in meta-analysis). Meta-analysis of cross-sectional associations revealed significantly higher levels of pro-inflammatory biomarkers; C-reactive protein; Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha in patients with depressive symptoms (DS) compared to patients without DS. Significantly lower levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were found in patients with DS compared to patients without DS. Considerable heterogeneity was detected in the analysis for most inflammatory markers.

Conclusion

We found evidence for an association of higher levels of pro-inflammatory and lower anti-inflammatory cytokines and DS in patients with CKD/ESKF. Clinical trials are needed to investigate whether anti-inflammatory therapies will be effective in the prevention and treatment of DS in these patients with multiple comorbidities.
The Ecological Resonance of Imogen’s Journey in Montana’s Parks
Authors: Minton Gretchen E. , Gray Mikey
Published: October 2022

In this article Gretchen Minton and Mikey Gray discuss an adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragicomedy Cymbeline that toured Montana and surrounding states in the summer of 2021. Minton’s sections describe the eco-feminist aims of this production, which was part of an international project called ‘Cymbeline in the Anthropocene’, showing how the costumes, set design, and especially the emphasis upon the female characters created generative ways of thinking about the relationship between the human and the more-than-human worlds. Gray’s first-person narrative at the end of each section reflects upon her role of Imogen as she participated in an extensive summer tour across the Intermountain West and engaged with audience members about their own relationship to both theatre and the natural world. This is a story of transformation through environmentally inflected Shakespeare performance during the time of a global pandemic.

Gretchen E. Minton is Professor of English at Montana State University, Bozeman, and editor of several early modern plays, including Timon of Athens, Troilus and Cressida, Twelfth Night, and The Revenger’s Tragedy. She is the dramaturg and script adaptor for Montana Shakespeare in the Parks and the co-founder of Montana InSite Theatre. Her directorial projects include A Doll’s House, Timon of Anaconda (see NTQ 145, February 2021), Shakespeare’s Walking Story, and Shakespeare for the Birds. Mikey Gray received her BA in Theatre and Performance from Bard College, New York, with a conservatory semester at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) in Sydney. She has performed in four productions with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, while other actor engagements include Chicago Shakespeare Theater, American Conservatory Theater, Strawdog Theater Company, The Passage Theatre, and McCarter Theatre Center.