bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of aluminium filler concentration on delamination in GFRP composite with optimized machining conditions using ANN-genetic algorithm
Authors: Aveen K P , Londhe Neelakantha , Ullal Vignesh Nayak , Pranesh Rao K M
Published: March 2023

Drilling is the most common operation that is performed on the composite material to facilitate the fastening of a composite with other components in an assembly. The present investigation investigates the most significant parameter that affects the quality of the drilled hole in glass fiber-reinforced composites. Epoxy resin is used in the matrix phase. Aluminum powder is used as a filler material in the epoxy matrix to reduce delamination. Laminated composites were fabricated by the hand-layup process with 0%, 3%, and 6 vol% aluminum fillers. Holes were drilled in the composites with the help of a computer numerical controlled drilling machine equipped with a dynamometer. Spindle speeds of 1000, 3000, and 5000 rpm, and feed rates of 50, 100, and 150 mm min−1 were the variables involved in the study. The thrust force and torque experienced during the machining process were measured. An artificial neural network model was executed using python programing language. The data obtained from the model was optimized using genetic algorithm to arrive the optimized machining conditions that would result in least delamination due to drilling.
Verifying the Straight-and-spaced Condition
Authors: Riestenberg J.
Published: March 2023

A classical local-to-global principle for undistorted actions on negatively curved spaces has been generalized to higher rank symmetric spaces by Kapovich-Leeb-Porti; this condition is equivalent to the Anosov property defined by Labourie and Guichard-Wienhard. In previous work the author found explicit criteria for this higher rank condition which, in principle, can be verified on a finite subset of the Cayley graph. In this note, we demonstrate that while the classical version can be checked, it is impractical to verify the higher-rank version with currently available techniques. Nonetheless, the numerical experiments here may give insight towards future work on this problem.
Enumerating Kleinian Groups
Authors: Gabai David , Meyerhoff Robert , Thurston Nathaniel , Yarmola Andrew
Published: March 2023

In this manuscript, we give an overview of the tools and techniques needed for successfully classifying “low-complexity” Kleinian groups. In particular, we focus on extracting topological and geometric properties of discrete Kleinian groups, such as bounds on tube radii, cusp geometry, volume, relators in group presentation, and similar quantities. A key point of this manuscript is to explain how a discrete set of solutions (or their closure) can be found using continuous methods, in particular by searching over a continuous parameter space of groups. These methods provide an effective avenue for studying and classifying hyperbolic 3-manifolds that satisfy some geometric or topological constraints.
Anosov representations over closed subflows
Authors: Wang Tianqi
Published: March 2023

We introduce a generalization of the notion of Anosov representations by restricting to invariant closed geodesic subflows. Examples of such representations include many non-discrete representations with good geometric properties, such as primitive-stable representations. We give several equivalent characterizations of this type of representations and prove some properties analogous to the classical Anosov representations, such as stability, the Cartan property and regularity properties of the limit maps.
High-throughput shoot phenotyping reveals temporal growth responses to nitrogen and inorganic and organic phosphorus sources in tomato
Authors: Ngo Hue T T , Cavagnaro Timothy R , Jewell Nathaniel , Brien Christopher J , Berger Bettina , Watts-Williams Stephanie J
Published: March 2023

The application of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers to soils is required to maintain crop yields, so the sufficient and timely delivery of nutrients to match crop demand is important in fertilizer management. We quantified temporal growth responses of tomato plants with different rates of N and P application using high-throughput shoot phenotyping. The tomato plants were grown in soil that had organic, inorganic or a combination of sources of P incorporated. Additional N was added to each pot at low and high rates, 13 days after planting. At the same rate of total P application, the inorganic P source resulted in greater shoot growth at the early time points. Later on, the plants supplied with organic or mixed P sources grew faster than those that received the inorganic P source, resulting in comparable shoot biomass in all treatments at the time of destructive harvest. The shoot phenotyping data demonstrated that readily available soil P was important for early tomato growth while available N was more important in later stages of vegetative growth. These results suggest that a fertilizer formulation of combined inorganic and organic P sources may be able to sustain rapid and great shoot growth in tomato plants, while also reducing additional N input.
Overview of hydrogen-resistant alloys for high-pressure hydrogen environment: on the hydrogen energy structural materials
Authors: Liu Jiaxing , Zhao Mingjiu , Rong Lijian
Published: March 2023

With the progressive expansion of hydrogen fuel demand, hydrogen pipelines, hydrogen storage cylinders and hydrogen refuelling stations (HRSs) are the primary components of hydrogen energy systems that face high-pressure hydrogen environments. Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) is a typical phenomenon in metallic materials, particularly in the high-pressure hydrogen environment, that causes loss of ductility and potentially catastrophic failure. HE is associated with materials, the service environment and stress. The primary mechanisms for explaining the HE of materials are hydrogen-enhanced decohesion, hydrogen-induced phase transformation, hydrogen-enhanced local plasticity, adsorption-induced dislocation emission and hydrogen-enhanced strain-induced vacancy. To reduce the risk of HE for metallic structural materials used in hydrogen energy systems, it is crucial to reasonably select hydrogen-resistant materials for high-pressure hydrogen environments. This paper summarizes HE phenomena, mechanisms and current problems for the metallic structural materials of hydrogen energy systems. A research perspective is also proposed, mainly focusing on metal structural materials for hydrogen pipelines, hydrogen storage cylinders and hydrogen compressors in HRSs from an application perspective.
The consequences of sea lamprey parasitism on lake trout energy budgets
Authors: Firkus Tyler J , Lika Konstadia , Dean Noah , Murphy Cheryl A
Published: March 2023

Parasitism is an energetically costly event for host species. Dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory describes the metabolic dynamics of an individual organism through its lifetime. Models derived from DEB theory specify how an organism converts food to reserves (maintenance-free energy available for metabolism) and allocates mobilized reserves to maintenance, growth (increase of structural body mass) and maturation or reproduction. DEB models thus provide a useful approach to describe the consequences of parasitism for host species. We developed a DEB model for siscowet lake trout and modeled the impact of sea lamprey parasitism on growth and reproduction using data collected from studies documenting the long-term effects following a non-lethal sea lamprey attack. The model was parameterized to reflect the changes in allocation of energy towards growth and reproduction observed in lake trout following sea lamprey parasitism and includes an estradiol module that describes the conversion of reproductive reserves to ovarian mass based on estradiol concentration. In our DEB model, parasitism increased somatic and maturity maintenance costs, reduced estradiol and decreased the estradiol-mediated conversion efficiency of reproductive reserves to ovarian mass. Muscle lipid composition of lake trout influenced energy mobilization from the reserve (efficiency of converting reserves allocated to reproduction into eggs) and reproductive efficiency. These model changes accurately reflect observed empirical changes to ovarian mass and growth. This model provides a plausible explanation of the energetic mechanisms that lead to skipped spawning following sea lamprey parasitism and could be used in population models to explore sublethal impacts of sea lamprey parasitism and other stressors on population dynamics.
The fragility index in randomized clinical trials supporting clinical practice guidelines for acute coronary syndrome: measuring robustness from a different perspective
Authors: Gonzalez-Del-Hoyo Maribel , Mas-Llado Caterina , Blaya-Peña Laura , Siquier-Padilla Joan , Peral Vicente , Rossello Xavier
Published: March 2023

Aims

In randomized clinical trials (RCTs) rejecting the null hypothesis, the fragility index (FI) yields the minimum number of participants who would need to have had a different outcome for the results of the trial to become non-significant. We evaluated the robustness of RCTs supporting American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) using the FI.

Methods and results

There were 407 RCTs among the 2128 studies cited in the 2013 and 2014 ACC/AHA and 2017 and 2020 ESC CPGs for STEMI and NSTE-ACS, respectively. The FI could be calculated in 132 RCTs (32.4%) meeting the needed criteria for its estimation (two-arm RCT, 1:1 allocation, binary outcome, P < 0.05). The median FI was 12 (interquartile range: 4–29). Hence, a change in the outcome status of 12 patients would be needed to reverse the statistical significance of the primary endpoint in 50% of the RCTs. The FI was ≤1% than their sample size in 55.7% RCTs, whereas in 47% of RCTs, the FI was lower than the number of patients lost to follow-up. Some study design features were associated with a higher FI (international, multicentre, private funding; all P < 0.05), whilst baseline patient characteristics were not substantially different by FI (e.g. age, female sex, white study participants; all P > 0.05), except for geographic enrolment (P = 0.042).

Conclusion

The FI might be useful to evaluate the robustness of those RCTs with statistically significant findings for the primary endpoint that have an impact on key guideline recommendations.
The highs and the lows: bank failures in Sweden through inflation and deflation, 1914–1926
Authors: Kenny Seán , Ögren Anders , Zhao Liang
Published: March 2023

This paper revisits the Swedish banking crisis (1919–1926) that materialized as post-war deflation replaced wartime inflation (1914–1918). Inspired by Fisher’s “debt deflation theory,” we employ survival analysis to “predict” which banks would fail, given certain ex-ante bank characteristics. Our tests support the theory; maturity structures mattered most in a regime of falling prices, with vulnerable shorter-term customer loans and bank liabilities representing the most consistent cause of bank distress in the crisis. Similarly, stronger growth in (1) leverage, (2) weaker collateral loans, and (3) foreign borrowing during the boom were all associated with bank failure.
Not just flowering time: a resurrection approach shows floral attraction traits are changing over time
Authors: Bishop Sasha G D , Chang Shu-Mei , Baucom Regina S
Published: March 2023

Contemporary anthropogenic changes in climate and landscape form a complex set of selective pressures acting on natural systems, yet, in many systems, we lack information about both whether and how organisms may adapt to these changes. In plants, research has focused on climate-induced changes in phenology and the resultant potential for disruption of plant-pollinator interactions, however, there remains a paucity of knowledge regarding how other pollinator-mediated traits may be involved in the adaptive response. Here, we use resurrection experiments to investigate the phenotypic basis of adaptation in a mixed-mating system plant, the common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea). Specifically, we measure temporal and spatial changes in traits grouped into three categories relevant to plant-pollinator interactions - floral morphology, floral rewards, and floral phenology. We show a significant temporal increase in corolla size and shift to earlier flowering times, as well as a potential for increased investment in floral rewards, all of which are driven primarily by populations at more northern latitudes. Additionally, we find evidence for directional selection on floral morphology and phenology and evidence of balancing selection acting on anther-stigma distance. Overall, these results show an adaptive response in line with greater investment in pollinator attraction rather than self-pollination and fine-scale spatial differences in adaptive potential.
Natural disturbances as drivers of tipping points in forest ecosystems under climate change – implications for adaptive management
Authors: Thom Dominik
Published: March 2023

As climate continues to change, disturbances may increasingly navigate forest ecosystems towards tipping points, causing irreversible state shifts and a loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this review, I elaborate the Special Issue topic ‘Natural disturbances as tipping points of forest ecosystems under climate change’ featured by Forestry and suggest a suit of adaptive measures to mitigate increasing disturbances and their impacts on forest ecosystems. The Special Issue contains seven case studies assessing drought, fire, wind and bark beetle disturbances in Europe, North America and Africa. Despite high severities and/or frequencies, disturbances have not yet induced a shift of the investigated forest ecosystems towards an alternative state. Instead, forests have shown high resistance, resilience or both. For instance, one case study reveals that short-interval fires in European beech forests may not even significantly alter tree species composition due to the high resprouting ability of beech. Yet, other case studies identify distinct differences in resilience amongst ecoregions, and indicate that climate change and disturbance interactions might tip the future carbon balance of forests from sink to source. Many forest ecosystems are likely able to cope with future increases in disturbance activity to some degree. However, tipping points might vary across ecosystems dominated by different disturbance agents. While wind and bark beetles mainly affect canopy trees, fire and drought also directly impair tree regeneration, thus reducing the capacity of ecosystems to recover and reorganize. Hence, forest ecosystems in which fire and drought are the dominant disturbance agents might approach tipping points earlier than forests dominated by other agents if disturbance activity continues to increase. Several proactive and reactive adaptive measures are available to mitigate increasing disturbances, but more research is needed to develop robust and region-specific strategies to prevent tipping points in forest ecosystems.
Genetic Parameter Estimates from a Polymix Breeding Population ofPinus taedaL.
Authors: Alan Murat , Payn Kitt , Mckeand Steve , Isik Fikret
Published: March 2023

Estimation of genetic parameters from progeny testing is essential for many important decisions in forest tree breeding. In this study, we estimated heritabilities, trait-trait genetic correlations, and genotype by environment (GxE) interactions using a large multi-environmental data set of Pinus taeda L. in the southern United States. In the study, 284 parents were pollinated with a pollen mix and were field tested in four different test series. A total of twenty tests (two to seven tests per series) were established using randomized complete block design with single tree plots. Half-sib family-mean heritability estimates within individual test series varied considerably for all the traits. Pooled estimates of half-sib family-mean heritability estimates across series were 0.81 for fusiform rust incidence; they were relatively lower for tree height (0.68), diameter at breast height (DBH; 0.66), and stem straightness (0.58). Genetic correlations between pairs of traits were low except for height and diameter, which had a high genetic correlation (0.79). Additive genetic correlations between pairs of sites within test series (as a measure of GxE) varied. The pooled estimates ranged between 0.65 (DBH) to 0.80 (fusiform rust). The results suggest that polymix mating is efficient for parental selection in Pinus taeda L. and for deployment in the seed orchards.

Study Implications: This study focused on genetic variation in the Piedmont breeding population of Pinus taeda L. in the United States. The Piedmont population was developed for more inland and colder regions of the species. Fusiform rust disease incidence of pine species of southeastern United States is a major threat to pine plantations. Understanding the level of genetic control on disease outcome is vital to develop sound breeding strategies and recommend deployment practices to mitigate the economic loss of landowners. The results provide valuable information to breeders to select disease-resistant genotypes to breed and put into seed orchards to mass-produce stock for planting.
Effects of Brain Maintenance and Cognitive Reserve on Age-Related Decline in Three Cognitive Abilities
Authors: Gazes Yunglin , Lee Seonjoo , Fang Zhiqian , Mensing Ashley , Noofoory Diala , Hidalgo Nazario Geneva , Babukutty Reshma , Chen Bryan B , Habeck Christian , Stern Yaakov
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Age-related cognitive changes can be influenced by both brain maintenance (BM), which refers to the relative absence over time of changes in neural resources or neuropathologic changes, and cognitive reserve (CR), which encompasses brain processes that allow for better-than-expected behavioral performance given the degree of life-course-related brain changes. This study evaluated the effects of age, BM, and CR on longitudinal changes over 2 visits, 5 years apart, in 3 cognitive abilities that capture most of age-related variability.

Methods

Participants included 254 healthy adults aged 20–80 years at recruitment. Potential BM was estimated using whole-brain cortical thickness and white matter mean diffusivity at both visits. Education and intelligence quotient (IQ; estimated with American National Adult Reading Test) were tested as moderating factors for cognitive changes in the 3 cognitive abilities.

Results

Consistent with BM—after accounting for age, sex, and baseline performance—individual differences in the preservation of mean diffusivity and cortical thickness were independently associated with relative preservation in the 3 abilities. Consistent with CR—after accounting for age, sex, baseline performance, and structural brain changes—higher IQ, but not education, was associated with reduced 5-year decline in reasoning (β = 0.387, p = .002), and education was associated with reduced decline in speed (β = 0.237, p = .039).

Discussion

These results demonstrate that both CR and BM can moderate cognitive changes in healthy aging and that the 2 mechanisms can make differential contributions to preserved cognition.
Difficult conversations concerning identity and difference: diverse approaches and perspectives
Authors: Soliz Jordan , Ramasubramanian Srividya
Published: March 2023

This essay is an introduction to the special issue on “Difficult Conversations Concerning Identity and Difference.” The essay begins with our argument that inquiries into difficult conversations are important as these interactions are key to addressing social inequities, creating and/or maintaining community and relational solidarity, amplifying voices of marginalized populations and/or diverse experiences, and enacting social change. Following this, we introduce the articles in the special issue highlighting the theoretical frameworks and methodological pluralism across the various relational and social contexts represented in the research (e.g., health care, higher education, community organizations, personal relationships). To complement the implications discussed by the authors in the special issue articles, we conclude the essay with additional questions that scholars and practitioners should consider as we move forward in research, teaching, and translational work on difficult conversations.
Oral Vancomycin Induced and Maintained Clinical and Endoscopic Remission in Ulcerative Colitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Post-liver Transplantation
Authors: Almomen Hisham S , Al-Bawardy Badr
Published: March 2023

Lay Summary

We present a case of a 34-year-old man with primary sclerosing cholangitis and associated ulcerative colitis refractory to multiple advanced therapies who achieved clinical and endoscopic remission with oral vancomycin therapy.
New Chromatographic Techniques for Sensitive Mebendazole Quantification in the Presence of Degraded Product, Commercial Tablets Application, and Greenness Assessment
Authors: Ahmed Amal B , Batakoushy Hany A , Abdallah Fatma F
Published: March 2023

Background

Before it spreads to other tissues, mebendazole (MBZ), a highly effective broad-spectrum anthelmintic, is used to treat worm infestations caused by roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, threadworms (pinworms), and the gastrointestinal form of trichinosis.

Objective

The development of new methods for sensitive quantification of MBZ in the presence of its degraded product is the main objective of the presented research.

Method

Validated chromatographic techniques with high sensitivity (HPTLC and UHPLC) are used. The HPTLC method was adopted on silica gel HPTLC F254 plates using ethanol, ethyl acetate, and formic acid (3: 8: 0.05, by volume) as a developing system. Furthermore, the UHPLC method is a green isocratic method with a mobile phase containing methanol and 0.1% sodium lauryl sulphate (20:80, v/v).

Results

The suggested chromatographic methods are greener than the reported ones in terms of the used greenness assessment methods. To validate the developed methods, International Council on Harmonization (ICH/Q2) guidelines were followed. Successful application of the proposed methods was revealed by the simultaneous analysis of MBZ and its major degradation product, 2-amino-5-benzoylbenzimidazole (ABB). The linear ranges were 0.2–3.0, 0.1–2.0 µg/band for the HPTLC method and 2.0–50, 1.0–40 µg/mL for the UHPLC method for MEB and ABB, respectively.

Conclusions

The suggested methods were used to analyze the studied drug in its commercial tablets. Both pharmacokinetic studies and quality control laboratories can make use of the suggested techniques.

Highlights

Green and accurate HPTLC and UHPLC methods for the determination of MBZ and its major degradation products.
Discretion and Favoritism in Public Procurement
Authors: Szucs Ferenc
Published: March 2023

This paper investigates the consequences of bureaucratic discretion in public procurement. I exploit a Hungarian policy reform, which allows a “high-discretion” procedure below a certain contract value. At the threshold, I document large discontinuities both in procurement outcomes and in the density of contract values, which indicates that buyers manipulate contract values to avoid auctions. I combine the reform and a structural model to find that discretion increases prices and results in the selection of less productive contractors. I also show that high discretion benefits firms with connections to the party of the central government. I use the structural model to document that public buyers are willing to sacrifice more contract value to increase their discretion if more connected firms are operating in the market. I also use the model to simulate the effects of counterfactual procurement thresholds on different procurement outcomes.
Teaching Mammalogy in the 21st century: advances in undergraduate education
Authors: Flaherty Elizabeth A , Lanier Hayley C , Varner Johanna , Duggan Jennifer M , Beckmann Sean , Yahnke Christopher J , Erb Liesl P , Patrick Lorelei E , Dizney Laurie , Munroe Karen E , Connors Patrice K
Published: March 2023

In the past 30 years, leaders in undergraduate education have called for transformations in science pedagogy to reflect the process of science as well as to develop professional skills, apply new and emerging technologies, and to provide more hands-on experience. These recommendations suggest teaching strategies that incorporate active learning methods that consistently increase learning, conceptual understanding, integration of subject knowledge with skill development, retention of undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, and inclusivity. To gain insight into current practices and pedagogy we surveyed members of the American Society of Mammalogists in 2021. The survey consisted of both fixed-response questions (e.g., multiple-choice or Likert-scale) and open-ended questions, each of which asked instructors about the structure and content of a Mammalogy or field Mammalogy course. In these courses, we found that lecturing was still a primary tool for presenting course content or information (x¯= 65% of the time); nonetheless, most instructors reported incorporating other teaching strategies ranging from pausing lectures for students to ask questions to incorporating active learning methods, such as debates or case studies. Most instructors reported incorporating skill development and inclusive teaching practices, and 64% reported that they perceived a need to change or update their Mammalogy courses or their teaching approaches. Overall, our results indicate that Mammalogy instructors have a strong interest in training students to share their appreciation for mammals and are generally engaged in efforts to increase the effectiveness of their teaching through the incorporation of more student-centered approaches to teaching and learning.
Comparing GPS collar and fecal sampling using detection dogs for habitat selection analysis in brocket deer (Mazama)
Authors: Peres Pedro H F , Grotta-Neto Francisco , Nascimento Guilherme B , Piovezan Ubiratan , Duarte José M B
Published: March 2023

Habitat use data are key to understanding species ecology and extinction risk. However, such information is lacking for the elusive deer species of Neotropical region. In this context, fecal sampling has emerged as an alternative tool, in which development and evaluation are essential to obtaining unbiased ecological data. We aimed to compare data from GPS-tracked animals and fecal sampling using scat detection dogs to evaluate the noninvasive performance of this method in habitat selection analysis. We carried out the study in the Brazilian Pantanal, where we monitored six free-living Gray Brocket Deer (Mazama gouazoubira) with GPS collars for 1 year (average of 584 GPS locations/animal) and collected fecal samples (n = 649) simultaneously along a set of transects designed for a scat detection dog survey. We evaluated habitat selection using the chi-square test in an availability/utilization analysis and submitted both data to a bootstrap procedure to assess its precision and accuracy with increasing sample size. GPS data indicated habitat selection at a fine utilization scale, in which savanna and cerrado were preferred and open grassland habitat was avoided. Exclusive fecal sampling also indicated habitat selection, revealing the preference for cerrado and avoidance of open grassland. The GPS and fecal habitat utilization estimates did not differ significantly and fecal sampling increased precision and accuracy with increased sample size, reaching minimal values once n = 200 which should be considered a sufficient survey effort. The similarity between the two methods suggested the reliability of fecal sampling, as long as a standardized sampling design is used. This noninvasive sampling framework can provide previously unavailable ecological data for threatened Neotropical deer as well as other elusive species.
In vivo [18F]THK-5351 imaging detected reactive astrogliosis in argyrophilic grain disease with comorbid pathology: A clinicopathological study
Authors: Kobayashi Ryota , Nakamura Tadaho , Naganuma Fumito , Harada Ryuichi , Morioka Daichi , Kanoto Masafumi , Furumoto Shozo , Kudo Yukitsuka , Kabasawa Takanobu , Otani Koichi , Futakuchi Mitsuru , Kawakatsu Shinobu , Okamura Nobuyuki
Published: March 2023

Quantification of in vivo reactive astrogliosis, which represents neural inflammation and remodeling in the brain, is an emerging methodology for the evaluation of patients with neurodegenerative diseases. [18F]THK-5351 is a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), a molecular marker of reactive astrogliosis. We performed in vivo [18F]THK-5351 PET in a patient who at autopsy was found to have argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) with comorbid pathology to visualize reactive astrogliosis for the first time. We aimed to validate an imaging-pathology correlation using [18F]THK-5351 PET and the autopsy brain. The patient, a 78-year-old man, was pathologically diagnosed with AGD combined with limbic-predominant age-related transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa encephalopathy and Lewy body disease without Alzheimer disease-related neuropathological changes. Reactive astrogliosis in the postmortem brain was abundant in the inferior temporal gyrus, insular gyrus, entorhinal cortex, and ambient gyrus where premortem [18F]THK-5351 signals were high. We found a proportional correlation between the amount of reactive astrogliosis in the postmortem brain and the in vivo [18F]THK-5351 standardized uptake value ratio (r = 0.8535, p = 0.0004). These results indicated that reactive astrogliosis in AGD with comorbid pathology could be identified and quantified by in vivo MAO-B imaging.
Modelling the large and dynamically growing bipartite network of German patents and inventors
Authors: Fritz Cornelius , De Nicola Giacomo , Kevork Sevag , Harhoff Dietmar , Kauermann Göran
Published: March 2023

To explore the driving forces behind innovation, we analyse the dynamic bipartite network of all inventors and patents registered within the field of electrical engineering in Germany in the past two decades. To deal with the sheer size of the data, we decompose the network by exploiting the fact that most inventors tend to only stay active for a relatively short period. We thus propose a Temporal Exponential Random Graph Model with time-varying actor set and sufficient statistics mirroring substantial expectations for our analysis. Our results corroborate that inventor characteristics and team formation are essential to the dynamics of invention.
Post-partum paraplegia following spinal anaesthesia: a report of two rare cases
Authors: Hussain Tosaddeque , Ghosh Indranil , Gerber Christopher , Basu Anindya , Tiwari Mona
Published: March 2023

Pregnancy and lumbar puncture are rare instances that can precipitate sudden onset paraplegia in patients with otherwise slow-growing intradural tumours. Surgeons and anaesthesiologists should be aware of the etiological factors leading to pregnancy- and delivery-related rapid tumour growth and its complications. Lumbar puncture-related complications leading to acute precipitation of neurological symptoms must be addressed promptly for favourable outcome in such patients. We describe the report of two patients who developed acute onset paraparesis after spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section. Both were found to be having undiagnosed spinal tumours and managed surgically. We recommend urgent MRI in cases of acute onset non-resolving paraparesis in the peripartum period, for timely diagnosis and management of this rare clinical entity.
Minimally invasive surgical resection of a large primary pulmonary hydatid cyst: a thoracoscopic approach
Authors: Zhu Alison , Tan Charis , Meredith Graham , Chard Richard
Published: March 2023

Pulmonary hydatid disease is a rare parasitic disease in Australia with few reported cases. The mainstay of treatment in pulmonary hydatid disease is surgical resection followed by medical treatment with benzimidazoles to reduce the risk of recurrence. We present a case of successful resection of a large primary pulmonary hydatid cyst via minimally invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery approach in a 65-year-old gentleman with incidental hepatopulmonary hydatid disease.
Severe constipation causing ischaemic stercoral perforation of sigmoid colon
Authors: Zhang Elissa Jie , Toh James Wei Tatt
Published: March 2023

Stercoral perforation is a rare but life-threatening condition that is increasingly being recognised as a sequelae of severe constipation. We present the case of a 45-year-old female who presented with stercoral perforation secondary to severe constipation related to adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer on a background of long-term antipsychotic medications. Chemotherapy-induced neutropaenia posed an additional treatment consideration in the management of sepsis associated with stercoral perforation. This case demonstrated that the morbidity and mortality from constipation especially in at risk patients cannot be underestimated.
Digital remediation and visual manipulation: Blogs as breathing spaces for Chinese tattoo wearers and enthusiasts
Authors: Li Songqing
Published: March 2023

Digital remediation increasingly plays a pivotal role in delivering political messages. This study examines postings of corporeally mediated tattoos in a China-based blog, focusing on in what sense blogs can provide a breathing or even emancipating space for Chinese tattoo wearers and enthusiasts to control the viewer’s perceptions of tattooing and negotiate long-standing stigmatized associations of tattoos there. The study analyzes 305 postings collected from the blog covering a period between 24 April 2020 and 3 May 2021, taking a quantitative approach. Methodologically, it first analyses the distribution of the signs across body parts as displayed. By applying multimodal perspectives, this study also investigates photographic techniques such as distance, angle, gaze, and modality harnessed and exploited for visual manipulation during digital remediation of turning body narratives into digital narratives. Findings of the study suggest that digital remediation facilitates personal expression of tattoo wearers and photographic techniques play a critical role in introducing ready alignment of the viewer with the postings. The study thus adds quantitative inquiries to existing, mostly qualitative, studies of tattoos which usually rest on interviews with tattoo wearers, enthusiasts, and artists for an account of tattoo narratives in connection to personal expression and self-definition. Its findings would be inspiring to socially stigmatized and marginalized groups to circumvent social, cultural, and political barriers to communicate and make their stories heard to more people.
Louise or Ferdinand? Exploring the protagonists of Love and Intrigue using social network analysis
Authors: Pang Nana , Sun Meng , Zhu Haoran
Published: March 2023

Love and Intrigue is an outstanding work by the German dramatist Friedrich Schiller. This work was initially titled Louise Millerin, which was changed to Love and Intrigue before its premiere. The title Louise Millerin indicates the importance of the female character Louise in the drama. However, is Louise the real protagonist of the drama? Existing research provided no definitive answer to this question. Scholars have not agreed on who the protagonist is in the drama and how to quantify the prominence of the character. To address these issues, this study adopts Social Network Analysis (SNA) to visualize the character network, quantify the centrality of the characters, and perform cluster analysis of the characters in Love and Intrigue. The results indicate that Ferdinand displays the highest prominence and has higher stability regarding centrality than Louise. We explore possible reasons behind the findings. First, the highlighting of the male character Ferdinand may reflect male dominance in the eighteenth-century Germany. Second, Schiller incorporated his personal experiences and emotional preferences into the writing of the drama, leading to his favor of Ferdinand. Third, Schiller may have also been influenced by the style of previous German playwrights. By applying SNA to literary research, this study presents a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the characters in Love and Intrigue and contributes to the research on Schiller’s works.
Feeling ready: neural bases of prospective motor readiness judgements
Authors: Parés-Pujolràs Elisabeth , Matić Karla , Haggard Patrick
Published: March 2023

The idea that human agents voluntarily control their actions, including their spontaneous movements, strongly implies an anticipatory awareness of action. That is, agents should be aware they are about to act before actually executing a movement. Previous research has identified neural signals that could underpin prospective conscious access to motor preparation, including the readiness potential and the beta-band event-related desynchronization. In this study, we ran two experiments to test whether these two neural precursors of action also tracka subjective feeling of readiness. In Experiment 1, we combined a self-paced action task with an intention-probing design where participants gave binary responses to indicate whether they felt they had been about to move when a probe was presented. In Experiment 2, participants reported their feeling of readiness on a graded scale. We found that the feeling of readiness reliably correlates with the beta-band amplitude, but not with the readiness potential.
Metabolic impact of intermittent energy restriction and periodic fasting in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review
Authors: van den Burg Elske L , van Peet Petra G , Schoonakker Marjolein P , van de Haar Dionysia E , Numans Mattijs E , Pijl Hanno
Published: March 2023

Context

The effectiveness of intermittent energy restriction (IER) and periodic fasting (PF) in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains a subject of discussion.

Objective

The aim of this systematic review is to summarize current knowledge of the effects of IER and PF in patients with T2D on markers of metabolic control and the need for glucose-lowering medication.

Data Sources

PubMed, Embase, Emcare, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CENTRAL, Academic Search Premier, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Wiley Online Library, and LWW Health Library were searched for eligible articles on March 20, 2018 (last update performed November 11, 2022). Studies that evaluated the effects of IER or PF diets in adult patients with T2D were included.

Data Extraction

This systematic review is reported according to PRISMA guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed through the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The search identified 692 unique records. Thirteen original studies were included.

Data Analysis

A qualitative synthesis of the results was constructed because the studies differed widely in terms of dietary interventions, study design, and study duration. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) declined in response to IER or PF in 5 of 10 studies, and fasting glucose declined in 5 of 7 studies. In 4 studies, the dosage of glucose-lowering medication could be reduced during IER or PF. Two studies evaluated long-term effects (≥1 year after ending the intervention). The benefits to HbA1c or fasting glucose were generally not sustained over the long term. There are a limited number of studies on IER and PF interventions in patients with T2D. Most were judged to have at least some risk of bias.

Conclusion

The results of this systematic review suggest that IER and PF can improve glucose regulation in patients with T2D, at least in the short term. Moreover, these diets may allow for dosage reduction of glucose-lowering medication.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42018104627.
The Child and Adult Care Food Program and young children’s health: a systematic review
Authors: Kenney Erica L , Tucker Kyla , Plummer Rachel S , Mita Carol , Andreyeva Tatiana
Published: March 2023

Context

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal nutrition program that supports young children’s nutrition. Its potential impacts on child well-being have not been summarized.

Objective

The objective of this review was to summarize the evidence for the impact of CACFP on children’s diet quality, weight status, food insecurity, and cognitive development.

Data Sources

Databases searched included MEDLINE, CAB Abstracts, Web of Science Core Collection, ERIC, PsycInfo, Dissertations & Theses Global (Proquest), EconLit, NBER, and the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), from database inception to November 12, 2021. Studies were included if the sample drew from child care programs serving children between the ages of 2 years and 18 years and if a comparison group of nonparticipating programs was included.

Data Extraction

Two reviewers independently extracted data on study design, year(s) of data collection, region, sample size, participant demographics, outcomes, and risk of bias.

Data Analysis

Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a narrative synthesis was used.

Results

Nineteen articles were reviewed, most of which had been published since 2012. Seventeen used cross-sectional designs. Twelve evaluated foods and beverages served; 4 evaluated dietary intake; 4 evaluated the child care nutrition environment; 2 evaluated food insecurity, 1 evaluated weight status; none evaluated cognitive outcomes. Studies typically found either a small beneficial association with CACFP or no significant association.

Conclusion

Currently, evidence for an association between CACFP and children’s health is inconclusive, though it is slightly suggestive of a benefit for some dietary quality outcomes. More research, with stronger study designs, is needed.

Systematic Review Registration

A protocol for this systematic review was registered with the PROSPERO systematic review protocol registry (PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021254423).
The Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) in Multimethod Assessment
Authors: Mihura Joni L. , Meyer Gregory J.
Published: March 2023

This chapter provides a description of the most contemporary and empirically supported version of the Rorschach inkblot test—the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS). R-PAS was designed by members of John Exner’s Rorschach Research Council as a replacement for his Comprehensive System (CS) after he unexpectedly passed away. Currently, R-PAS has more construct validity analyses for its test variables than any other personality test, including versions of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Its international norms address the problem of Exner’s CS norms overpathologizing respondents. R-PAS also provides many improvements in test administration, coding, and interpretation. For example, in contrast to the CS and other earlier Rorschach systems, R-PAS reports its results using standard scores as do other contemporary cognitive or personality tests. After describing the basics of the test along with brief descriptions of its test variables, the empirical foundation for R-PAS is summarized. The forensic use of the Rorschach and human diversity considerations are discussed. The assessment methods used by R-PAS are situated within the context of other popular test methods—maximal versus typical methods as well as self-report (e.g., MMPI-3), observer or informant report, and narrative methods (e.g., Thematic Apperception Test). Two cases illustrate how R-PAS incrementally contributes to multimethod assessments. The chapter closes by recommending that the stigma surrounding the Rorschach be reduced, particularly because R-PAS has such strong support in assessing the disorganized thinking seen in psychosis.
Répondre aux besoins des parents adolescents et de leurs enfants
Authors: Thompson Gillian ,   Société canadienne de pédiatrie,   Comité de la santé de l’adolescent
Published: March 2023

Les parents adolescents et leurs enfants sont deux patients d’âge pédiatrique pour les dispensateurs de soins, et ont chacun leurs propres besoins de santé. Les jeunes parents et leur enfant peuvent être à risque de voir leur santé en souffrir, non pas directement à cause de l’âge de la mère, mais de la pauvreté et des autres inégalités en matière de déterminants sociaux de la santé. Pour bien évaluer les besoins de santé de l’enfant et de sa mère, il faut privilégier une approche objective, des outils de dépistage appropriés et des questions ouvertes qui tiennent compte à la fois de la prévention et des problèmes de santé aigus. Il est possible d’anticiper les besoins coexistants de cette dyade, car ils portent sur la croissance et le développement, la santé mentale du nourrisson et de l’adolescente, l’alimentation et la sécurité alimentaire, la sécurité, les relations, les pratiques parentales, l’éducation, la santé sexuelle et l’aide à trouver du soutien et des ressources. Les dispensateurs de soins qui comprennent le développement des adolescentes et intègrent des éléments du « foyer médical » axé sur les patients à leur pratique sont les mieux placés pour favoriser des résultats de santé positifs, tant pour la mère que pour son nourrisson.
Optimizing agri-environment schemes for cost-effectiveness, fairness or both?
Authors: Markova-Nenova Nonka , Wätzold Frank , Sturm Astrid
Published: March 2023

We investigate empirically trade-offs between improving the cost-effectiveness of an agri-environment scheme (AES) and its distributional impacts, applying the criteria of equality (equal payments), equity (equal producer surplus), and the Rawlsian maximin criterion (here understood as maximizing the producer surplus in the poorest region). Using an ecological-economic modelling procedure, we simulate an existing grassland AES in Saxony, Germany and design two cost-effective alternatives—one AES with spatially homogeneous payments and one with regionally differentiated payments—and compare the distributional impacts of the three schemes. For spatially homogeneous payments, we find a trade-off between cost-effectiveness and equality but not equity and the Rawlsian maximin criterion. This suggests that cost-effectiveness improvements do not necessarily go against distributional concerns. However, the substantial cost-effectiveness improvements that can be achieved with regionally differentiated AES come at the expense of distributional setbacks according to all applied fairness criteria.