bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maximal $$L^1$$-regularity for parabolic initial-boundary value problems with inhomogeneous data
Authors: Ogawa Takayoshi , Shimizu Senjo
Published: April 2022

End-point maximal$$L^1$$L1-regularity for parabolic initial-boundary value problems is considered. For the inhomogeneous Dirichlet and Neumann data, maximal$$L^1$$L1-regularity for initial-boundary value problems is established in time end-point case upon the homogeneous Besov space$${\dot{B}}_{p,1}^s({\mathbb {R}}^n_+)$$B˙p,1s(R+n)with$$1< p< \infty $$1<p<∞and$$-1+1/p<s\le 0$$-1+1/p<s≤0as well as optimal trace estimates. The main estimates obtained here are sharp in the sense of trace estimates and it is not available by known theory on the class of UMD Banach spaces. We utilize a method of harmonic analysis, in particular, the almost orthogonal properties between the boundary potentials of the Dirichlet and the Neumann boundary data and the Littlewood-Paley dyadic decomposition of unity in the Besov and the Lizorkin–Triebel spaces.
The effect of technological behaviour and beliefs on subjective well-being: the role of technological infrastructure
Authors: Degli Antoni Giacomo , Franco Chiara
Published: April 2022

The aim of the paper is to investigate the role of technological infrastructures in the relationship between subjective well-being (SWB) and the use of technological goods on the one hand, and between SWB and technological attitudes on the other. We use the sixth wave of the World Value Survey, which allows us to have comparable data for 60 countries over the period 2010–2014. We show that the use of internet as a means of collecting information is associated with different levels of SWB depending on the efficiency of the technological infrastructure. Moreover, we find a positive, though not always statistically significant, association between scientific and technological attitudes and SWB and show that this relation is stronger in areas with less efficient technological structures. The focus on the linkage between technological infrastructure and SWB paves the way for policy interventions aimed at promoting a coherent development of technological access, use and beliefs.
Identification of environmental chemicals that activate p53 signaling after in vitro metabolic activation
Authors: Ooka Masato , Zhao Jinghua , Shah Pranav , Travers Jameson , Klumpp-Thomas Carleen , Xu Xin , Huang Ruili , Ferguson Stephen , Witt Kristine L. , Smith-Roe Stephanie L. , Simeonov Anton , Xia Menghang
Published: April 2022

Currently, approximately 80,000 chemicals are used in commerce. Most have little-to-no toxicity information. The U.S. Toxicology in the 21st Century (Tox21) program has conducted a battery of in vitro assays using a quantitative high-throughput screening (qHTS) platform to gain toxicity information on environmental chemicals. Due to technical challenges, standard methods for providing xenobiotic metabolism could not be applied to qHTS assays. To address this limitation, we screened the Tox21 10,000-compound (10K) library, with concentrations ranging from 2.8 nM to 92 µM, using a p53 beta-lactamase reporter gene assay (p53-bla) alone or with rat liver microsomes (RLM) or human liver microsomes (HLM) supplemented with NADPH, to identify compounds that induce p53 signaling after biotransformation. Two hundred and seventy-eight compounds were identified as active under any of these three conditions. Of these 278 compounds, 73 gave more potent responses in the p53-bla assay with RLM, and 2 were more potent in the p53-bla assay with HLM compared with the responses they generated in the p53-bla assay without microsomes. To confirm the role of metabolism in the differential responses, we re-tested these 75 compounds in the absence of NADPH or with heat-attenuated microsomes. Forty-four compounds treated with RLM, but none with HLM, became less potent under these conditions, confirming the role of RLM in metabolic activation. Further evidence of biotransformation was obtained by measuring the half-life of the parent compounds in the presence of microsomes. Together, the data support the use of RLM in qHTS for identifying chemicals requiring biotransformation to induce biological responses.
Circulating Exosomes from Mice with LPS-Induced Bone Loss Inhibit Osteoblast Differentiation
Authors: Wang Yixuan , Zhang Lijun , Wang Ke , Zhou Hua , Li Gaozhi , Xu Liqun , Hu Zebing , Cao Xinsheng , Shi Fei , Zhang Shu
Published: April 2022

Osteoimmunology focuses on the intermodulation between bone and the immune system. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced bone loss models are commonly used to investigate the interface between inflammation and osteoporosis. Circulating exosomes can regulate physiological and pathological processes through exosomal microRNAs and proteins. In this study, we observed reduced osteoblast number and bone formation in LPS-induced bone loss mice (LPS mice). Levels of circulating exosomes were increased by ~ twofold in LPS mice, and the expression of exosomal miRNAs was significantly changed. miRNAs (miRNA-125b-5p, miRNA-132-3p, and miRNA-214-3p) that were reported to inhibit osteoblast activity were significantly increased in the serum exosomes and bone tissues of LPS mice. Additionally, LPS-induced increases in exosomes significantly inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells.
A rapid and efficient strategy to identify and recover biosynthetic gene clusters from soil metagenomes
Authors: Negri Timo , Mantri Shrikant , Angelov Angel , Peter Silke , Muth Günther , Eustáquio Alessandra S. , Ziemert Nadine
Published: April 2022

Culture-independent metagenomic approaches offer a promising solution to the discovery of therapeutically relevant compounds such as antibiotics by enabling access to the hidden biosynthetic potential of microorganisms. These strategies, however, often entail laborious, multi-step, and time-consuming procedures to recover the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) from soil metagenomes for subsequent heterologous expression. Here, we developed an efficient method we called single Nanopore read cluster mining (SNRCM), which enables the fast recovery of complete BGCs from a soil metagenome using long- and short-read sequencing. A metagenomic fosmid library of 83,700 clones was generated and sequenced using Nanopore as well as Illumina technologies. Hybrid assembled contigs of the sequenced fosmid library were subsequently analyzed to identify BGCs encoding secondary metabolites. Using SNRCM, we aligned the identified BGCs directly to Nanopore long-reads and were able to detect complete BGCs on single fosmids. This enabled us to select for and recover BGCs of interest for subsequent heterologous expression attempts. Additionally, the sequencing data of the fosmid library and its corresponding metagenomic DNA enabled us to assemble and recover a large nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) BGC from three different fosmids of our library and to directly amplify and recover a complete lasso peptide BGC from the high-quality metagenomic DNA. Overall, the strategies presented here provide a useful tool for accelerating and facilitating the identification and production of potentially interesting bioactive compounds from soil metagenomes.

Key points

• An efficient approach for the recovery of BGCs from soil metagenomes was developed to facilitate natural product discovery.

• A fosmid library was constructed from soil metagenomic HMW DNA and sequenced via Illumina and Nanopore.

• Nanopore long-reads enabled the direct identification and recovery of complete BGCs on single fosmids.
FDG-PET/CT in indeterminate thyroid nodules: cost-utility analysis alongside a randomised controlled trial
Authors: de Koster Elizabeth J. , Vriens Dennis , van Aken Maarten O. , Dijkhorst-Oei Lioe-Ting , Oyen Wim J. G. , Peeters Robin P. , Schepers Abbey , de Geus-Oei Lioe-Fee , van den Hout Wilbert B. ,   for the EfFECTS trial study group
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To evaluate cost-effectiveness of an [18F]FDG-PET/CT-driven diagnostic workup as compared to diagnostic surgery, for thyroid nodules with Bethesda III/IV cytology. [18F]FDG-PET/CT avoids 40% of futile diagnostic surgeries for benign Bethesda III/IV nodules.

Methods

Lifelong societal costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were assessed for 132 patients participating in a randomised controlled multicentre trial comparing [18F]FDG-PET/CT to diagnostic surgery. The observed 1-year trial results were extrapolated using a Markov model. The probability of cost-effectiveness was estimated using cost-effectiveness acceptability curves, taking uncertainty about sampling, imputation, and parameters into account.

Results

The observed 1-year cost difference of [18F]FDG-PET/CT as compared to diagnostic surgery was − €1000 (95% CI: − €2100 to €0) for thyroid nodule–related care (p = 0.06). From the broader societal perspective, the 1-year difference in total societal costs was − €4500 (− €9200 to €150) (p = 0.06). Over the modelled lifelong period, the cost difference was − €9900 (− €23,100 to €3200) (p = 0.14). The difference in QALYs was 0.019 (− 0.045 to 0.083) at 1 year (p = 0.57) and 0.402 (− 0.581 to 1.385) over the lifelong period (p = 0.42). For a willingness to pay of €50,000 per QALY, an [18F]FDG-PET/CT-driven work-up was the cost-effective strategy with 84% certainty.

Conclusion

Following the observed reduction in diagnostic surgery, an [18F]FDG-PET/CT-driven diagnostic workup reduced the 1-year thyroid nodule–related and societal costs while sustaining quality of life. It is very likely cost-effective as compared to diagnostic surgery for Bethesda III/IV nodules.

Trial registration number: This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02208544 (5 August 2014), https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02208544.
Radiation Dose Aspects of Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy in Uveal Melanoma Patients with Liver Metastases
Authors: Zensen Sebastian , Opitz Marcel K. , Ludwig Johannes M. , Haubold Johannes , Richly Heike , Siveke Jens T. , Theysohn Jens M. , Forsting Michael , Bos Denise , Schaarschmidt Benedikt M.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

In uveal melanoma patients, liver metastases can be treated by hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC). During this procedure, melphalan or, less frequently, fotemustine is infused into the hepatic artery or the hepatic lobe arteries in regularly repeated interventions to achieve local tumor control. The aim of this study was to investigate the radiation exposure of HAIC.

Material and methods

In this retrospective study, dose data from 841 procedures in 140 patients (mean age 65.3 ± 9.9 years, 74 female) who underwent HAIC between 06/2017 and 10/2021 at one of three different angiography systems were analyzed.

Results

In the overall population, dose area product (DAP) (median (IQR)) was 1773 cGy·cm2 (884–3688). DAP was significantly higher in the first intervention, where a complete diagnostic workup of the vasculature was performed, than in follow-up interventions: 5765 cGy·cm2 (3160–8804) versus 1502 cGy·cm2 (807–2712) (p < 0.0001). DAP also increased significantly with the number of infusion positions (median, (IQR)): one position 1301 cGy·cm2 (633–2717), two positions 1985 cGy·cm2 (1118–4074), three positions 6407 cGy·cm2 (2616–11590) (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

In uveal melanoma patients with liver metastases undergoing HAIC, radiation exposure is significantly higher both at the first intervention compared to follow-up interventions, but also with increasing number of infusion positions.

Level of evidence: 3
Ultra-high-speed time-resolved PIV of turbulent flows using a continuously pulsing fiber laser
Authors: Geschwindner Christopher , Westrup Katharina , Dreizler Andreas , Böhm Benjamin
Published: April 2022

The application of a compact pulsed fiber laser for high-speed time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) measurements in the potential core of a turbulent round jet is presented at repetition rates of up to $$500\,\hbox {kHz}$$

500

kHz

. The master oscillator power amplifier laser architecture consists of a pulsable seed diode whose emission is amplified in a Yb-doped fiber. The pulsed laser is operated continuously at repetition rates ranging from $$10\,\hbox {kHz}$$

10

kHz

to $$1\,\hbox {MHz}$$

1

MHz

with adjustable pulse widths at an output power of 50 W. The maximum rated pulse energy of $$486\,\upmu \hbox {J}$$

486

μ
J

is reached at $$100\,\hbox {kHz}$$

100

kHz

, making the laser suitable for measurements of turbulent flows and highly transient phenomena. To demonstrate the feasibility of the laser for flow velocimetry, TR-PIV is conducted in a turbulent round jet. Two different high-speed camera systems are employed: a high-speed CMOS camera running at $$200\,\hbox {kHz}$$

200

kHz

and $$400\,\hbox {kHz}$$

400

kHz

and an in situ storage CCD camera for burst-mode PIV measurements at $$500\,\hbox {kHz}$$

500

kHz

. For the CMOS system, the capability of measuring several characteristic quantities of turbulent flows is discussed with regard to the effects of uncertainty and spatial resolution. The presented system extends the range of suitable laser systems for high-speed PIV measurements offering continuous pulsing at repetition rates of up to $$1\,\hbox {MHz}$$

1

MHz

at a compact footprint. The amount of consecutive images is solely limited by the onboard storage of the camera, which enables unprecedented temporal dynamic ranges.

Graphical Abstract
‘Grey-Box-Processing’: a novel validation method for use in vehicle safety applications
Authors: Soot Thomas , Dlugosch Michael , Fritsch Jens , Ichinose Noriyo , Hiermaier Stefan , Duddeck Fabian
Published: April 2022

The ‘Grey-Box-Processing’ method, presented in this article, allows for the integration of simulated and experimental data sets with the overall objective of a comprehensive validation of simulation methods and models. This integration leads to so-called hybrid data sets. They allow for a spatially and temporally resolved identification and quantitative assessment of deviations between experimental observations and results of corresponding finite element simulations in the field of vehicle safety. This is achieved by the iterative generation of a synthetic, dynamic solution corridor in the finite element domain, which is deduced from experimental observations and restricts the freedom of movement of a virtually analyzed structure. The hybrid data sets thus contain physically based information about the interaction (e.g. acting forces) between the solution corridor and the virtually analyzed structure. An additional result of the ‘Grey-Box-Processing’ is the complemented three-dimensional reconstruction of the incomplete experimental observations (e.g. two-dimensional X-ray movies). The extensive data sets can be used not only for the assessment of the similarity between experiment and simulation, but also for the efficient derivation of improvement measures in order to increase the predictive power of the used model or method if necessary. In this study, the approach is presented in detail. Simulation-based investigations are conducted using generic test setups as well as realistic pedestrian safety test cases. These investigations show the general applicability of the method as well as the significant informative value and interpretability of generated hybrid data sets.
Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: results from a 20-year long prospective cohort study in Swedish men and women
Authors: Barouti Afroditi Alexandra , Tynelius Per , Lager Anton , Björklund Anneli
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To investigate the association between fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) and the risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a Swedish prospective cohort study.

Methods

Subjects were 6961 men and women aged 35–56 years old at baseline, participating in the Stockholm Diabetes Prevention Program cohort. By design, the cohort was enriched by 50% with subjects that had family history of diabetes. Anthropometric measurements, oral glucose tolerance tests and questionnaires on lifestyle and dietary factors were carried out at baseline and two follow-up occasions. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios with 95% CIs.

Results

During a mean follow-up time of 20 ± 4 years, 1024 subjects developed T2D and 870 prediabetes. After adjustments for confounders, the highest tertile of total FVI was associated with a lower risk of developing T2D in men (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.60–0.96). There was also an inverse association between total fruit intake and prediabetes risk in men, with the HR for the highest tertile being 0.76 (95% CI 0.58–1.00). As for subtypes, higher intake of apples/pears was inversely associated with T2D risk in both sexes, whereas higher intakes of banana, cabbage and tomato were positively associated with T2D or prediabetes risk in either men or women.

Conclusion

We found an inverse association between higher total FVI and T2D risk and between higher fruit intake and prediabetes risk, in men but not in women. Certain fruit and vegetable subtypes showed varying results and require further investigation.
Depression scores and quality of life of vertiginous patients, suffering from different vestibular disorders
Authors: Molnár András , Maihoub Stefani , Mavrogeni Panayiota , Tamás László , Szirmai Ágnes
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To contrast the quality of life (QoL) impairment and depression scores of patients suffering from different vestibular disorders.

Methods

301 patients were examined due to vertiginous complaints at the Neurotology Centre of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of Semmelweis University. These patients completed the Hungarian version of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised questionnaires.

Results

According to neurotological examination, the distribution of the different diagnoses was as follows: Menière’s disease (n = 101), central vestibular disorders (n = 67), BPPV (n = 47), vestibular neuritis (n = 39), other unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy (n = 18), PPPD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness) (n = 16), vestibular migraine (n = 8), and vestibular Schwannoma (n = 5). The results of the DHI questionnaire have indicated worsened QoL in 86.4%, out of which 33.6% was defined as severe. The Beck scale has shown depressive symptoms in 42.3% of the cases, with severe symptoms in 6.3%. Significantly higher total DHI and Beck scale results were observed in patients with central vestibular disorders, vestibular migraine, PPPD and peripheral vestibulopathy, contrasted to the results of the other four diagnosis groups. The onset of the symptoms did not significantly affect the severity of QoL worsening and depression symptoms.

Conclusion

In this study, the QoL of vertiginous patients was worse in general, with the occurrence of depression symptoms. A difference was observed in the case of the values of patients with different vestibular disorders, indicating the importance of different factors, e.g., central vestibular compensation, behavioural strategies and psychological factors.
Is canaloplasty with mitomycin c a safe procedure in myopic glaucoma?
Authors: Dooling Vivienne , Lappas Alexandra , Dietlein Thomas Stefan
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Myopic glaucoma patients display a considerable risk of complications following antiglaucomatous filtering surgery, e.g., trabeculectomy. Canaloplasty with mitomycin C may reduce this risk by avoiding massive overfiltration.

Methods

We performed retrospective analysis of 31 eyes with myopia that underwent canaloplasty modified with mitomycin C in a consecutive single-surgeon case series. Annual data and success rates were analysed. Twenty-three myopic eyes that had received conventional trabeculectomy with mitomycin C were recorded as a comparison.

Results

The 31 eyes with a follow-up of 40 ± 26 months after canaloplasty had a mean spherical equivalent of − 8.4 ± 4.5 dioptres. Intraocular pressure decreased from 32.3 ± 9.6 mmHg (range: 17 to 58) to 16.8 ± 8.1 mmHg (range: 5 to 44) 1 year after surgery (− 46%;p < 0.001) with a medication score reduction from 5 to 1.2 (p < 0.001). Qualified success rates (Criterion B: no revision surgery, IOP < 21 mmHg, IOP reduction > 20%) were 83% after 1 year and 61% at the 2nd and 3rd years. In 5 eyes (16%), early ocular hypotony (≤ 5 mmHg) was observed. Two eyes (7%) showed transient choroidal detachment and swelling. The 23 eyes that had received trabeculectomy had success rates (Criterion B) of 91% at the 1st and 86% at the 2nd and 3rd years. Hypotony occurred in 10 eyes (44%), and 4 eyes (17%) showed choroidal detachment or macular folds.

Conclusions

Postoperative complications related to overfiltration were less frequent after canaloplasty with mitomycin C. Midterm data proved good efficacy. Pressure reduction, success rates and rates of medication free patients were significantly higher in trabeculectomy compared to modified canaloplasty with mitomycin C.
Low-pressure versus standard-pressure pneumoperitoneum in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Ortenzi Monica , Montori Giulia , Sartori Alberto , Balla Andrea , Botteri Emanuele , Piatto Giacomo , Gallo Gaetano , Vigna Silvia , Guerrieri Mario , Williams Sophie , Podda Mauro , Agresta Ferdinando
Published: April 2022

Introduction

It has been previously demonstrated that the rise of intra-abdominal pressures and prolonged exposure to such pressures can produce changes in the cardiovascular and pulmonary dynamic which, though potentially well tolerated in the majority of healthy patients with adequate cardiopulmonary reserve, may be less well tolerated when cardiopulmonary reserve is poor.

Nevertheless, theoretically lowering intra-abdominal pressure could reduce the impact of pneumoperitoneum on the blood circulation of intra-abdominal organs as well as cardiopulmonary function. However, the evidence remains weak, and as such, the debate remains unresolved. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to demonstrate the current knowledge around the effect of pneumoperitoneum at different pressures levels during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Materials and methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis were reported according to the recommendations of the 2020 updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions.

Results

This systematic review and meta-analysis included 44 randomized controlled trials that compared different pressures of pneumoperitoneum in the setting of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Length of hospital, conversion rate, and complications rate were not significantly different, whereas statistically significant differences were observed in post-operative pain and analgesic consumption. According to the GRADE criteria, overall quality of evidence was high for intra-operative bile spillage (critical outcome), overall complications (critical outcome), shoulder pain (critical outcome), and overall post-operative pain (critical outcome). Overall quality of evidence was moderate for conversion to open surgery (critical outcome), post-operative pain at 1 day (critical outcome), post-operative pain at 3 days (important outcome), and bleeding (critical outcome). Overall quality of evidence was low for operative time (important outcome), length of hospital stay (important outcome), post-operative pain at 12 h (critical outcome), and was very low for post-operative pain at 1 h (critical outcome), post-operative pain at 4 h (critical outcome), post-operative pain at 8 h (critical outcome), and post-operative pain at 2 days (critical outcome).

Conclusions

This review allowed us to draw conclusive results from the use of low-pressure pneumoperitoneum with an adequate quality of evidence.
Soft Computing-Based Models for Predicting the Characteristic Impedance of Igneous Rock from Their Physico-mechanical Properties
Authors: Aladejare Adeyemi Emman , Ozoji Toochukwu , Lawal Abiodun Ismail , Zhang Zongxian
Published: April 2022

Rock properties are important for design of surface and underground mines as well as civil engineering projects. Among important rock properties is the characteristic impedance of rock. Characteristic impedance plays a crucial role in solving problems of shock waves in mining engineering. The characteristics impedance of rock has been related with other rock properties in literature. However, the regression models between characteristic impedance and other rock properties in literature do not consider the variabilities in rock properties and their characterizations. Therefore, this study proposed two soft computing models [i.e., artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS)] for better predictions of characteristic impedance of igneous rocks. The performances of the proposed models were statistically evaluated, and they were found to satisfactorily predict characteristic impedance with very strong statistical indices. In addition, multiple linear regression (MLR) was developed and compared with the ANN and ANFIS models. ANN model has the best performance, followed by ANFIS model and lastly MLR model. The models have Pearson's correlation coefficients of close to 1, indicating that the proposed models can be used to predict characteristic impedance of igneous rocks.
External validation of brain arteriovenous malformation haemorrhage scores, AVICH, ICH and R2eD
Authors: Taweel Basel A. , Gillespie Conor S. , Richardson George E. , Mustafa Mohammad A. , Ali Tamara , Islim Abdurrahman I. , Hannan Cathal J. , Chavredakis Emmanuel
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To externally validate the arteriovenous malformation-related intracerebral haemorrhage (AVICH), intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), and novel haemorrhage presentation risk score (R2eD) in brain arteriovenous malformations.

Methods

Adult patients diagnosed radiologically with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) at a tertiary neurosurgical centre between 2007 and 2018 were eligible for inclusion. Both the AVICH and ICH scores were calculated for AVM-related symptomatic haemorrhage (SH) and compared against the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at discharge and last follow-up, with unfavourable outcome defined as mRS > 2. R2eD scores were stratified based on presentation with SH. External validity was assessed using Harrel’s C-statistic.

Results

Two hundred fifty patients were included. Mean age at diagnosis was 46.2 years [SD = 16.5]). Eighty-seven patients (34.8%) had a SH, with 83 included in the analysis. Unfavourable mRS outcome was seen in 18 (21.6%) patients at discharge and 18 (21.6%) patients at last follow-up. The AVICH score C-statistic was 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53–0.80) at discharge and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.56–0.84) at last follow-up. The ICH score C-statistic was 0.78 (95% CI 0.67–0.88), at discharge and 0.80 (95% CI 0.69–0.91) at last follow-up. The R2eD score C-statistic for predicting AVM haemorrhage was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.53–0.67).

Conclusions

The AVICH score showed fair-poor performance, while the ICH score showed good-fair performance. The R2eD score demonstrated poor performance, and its clinical utility in predicting AVM haemorrhage remains unclear.
Maximum and top-k diversified biclique search at scale
Authors: Lyu Bingqing , Qin Lu , Lin Xuemin , Zhang Ying , Qian Zhengping , Zhou Jingren
Published: April 2022

Maximum biclique search, which finds the biclique with the maximum number of edges in a bipartite graph, is a fundamental problem with a wide spectrum of applications in different domains, such as E-Commerce, social analysis, web services, and bioinformatics. Unfortunately, due to the difficulty of the problem in graph theory, no practical solution has been proposed to solve the issue in large-scale real-world datasets. Existing techniques for maximum clique search on a general graph cannot be applied because the search objective of maximum biclique search is two-dimensional, i.e., we have to consider the size of both parts of the biclique simultaneously. In this paper, we divide the problem into several subproblems each of which is specified using two parameters. These subproblems are derived in a progressive manner, and in each subproblem, we can restrict the search in a very small part of the original bipartite graph. We prove that a logarithmic number of subproblems is enough to guarantee the algorithm correctness. To minimize the computational cost, we show how to reduce significantly the bipartite graph size for each subproblem while preserving the maximum biclique satisfying certain constraints by exploring the properties of one-hop and two-hop neighbors for each vertex. Furthermore, we study the diversified top-kbiclique search problem which aims to findkmaximal bicliques that cover the most edges in total. The basic idea is to repeatedly find the maximum biclique in the bipartite graph and remove it from the bipartite graphktimes. We design an efficient algorithm that considers to share the computation cost among thekresults, based on the idea of deriving the same subproblems of different results. We further propose two optimizations to accelerate the computation by pruning the search space with size constraint and refining the candidates in a lazy manner. We use several real datasets from various application domains, one of which contains over 300 million vertices and 1.3 billion edges, to demonstrate the high efficiency and scalability of our proposed solution. It is reported that 50% improvement on recall can be achieved after applying our method in Alibaba Group to identify the fraudulent transactions in their e-commerce networks. This further demonstrates the usefulness of our techniques in practice.
Stochastic behaviours for retrieval of storage items using simulated robot swarms
Authors: Milner Emma , Sooriyabandara Mahesh , Hauert Sabine
Published: April 2022

Robot swarms have the potential to be used as an out-of-the-box solution for storage and retrieval that is low cost, scalable to the needs of the task, and would require minimal set up and training for the users. Swarms are adaptable, robust and scalable with a relatively low computational cost which makes them appropriate for this purpose. This project simulated a robot swarm with simple sensors and stochastic movement, collecting boxes from storage to deliver them to the user. We show in simulation that stochastic strategies based on random walk and probabilistic sampling of local boxes could give rise to competitive solutions to retrieve boxes and deliver them unordered, or following a predetermined order, within a storage scenario. The performance of the task is drastically improved using an additional simple bias rule which uses compass measurements and does not reduce the minimalism of the control. It is shown that swarm technology could provide an out-of-the-box system for storage and retrieval using only information local to each robot and with distributed control.
Strong substitutes: structural properties, and a new algorithm for competitive equilibrium prices
Authors: Baldwin Elizabeth , Bichler Martin , Fichtl Maximilian , Klemperer Paul
Published: April 2022

We show the strong substitutes product-mix auction bidding language provides an intuitive and geometric interpretation of strong substitutes as Minkowski differences between sets that are easy to identify. We prove that competitive equilibrium prices for agents with strong substitutes preferences can be computed by minimizing the difference between two linear programs for the positive and the negative bids with suitably relaxed resource constraints. This also leads to a new algorithm for computing competitive equilibrium prices which is competitive with standard steepest descent algorithms in extensive experiments.
Responding to Covid-19: an analysis of position statements of gerontological societies worldwide
Authors: Emmer De Albuquerque Green Caroline , Scharf Thomas , Kessler Eva-Marie
Published: April 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic, with its adverse implications for older adults, has generated unprecedented public interest in issues around age and ageing globally. We systematically investigated the responses of national gerontological and geriatric societies (NGGS) to emerging challenges during the first wave of the pandemic. Framed within traditional research topics in gerontology, the aim was to identify the spectrum of focal points and positions directed towards governments, policy makers, researchers and society. A comprehensive, two-phased data collection strategy generatedN = 22 position statements of NGGS affiliated to the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Using Ayalon et al. (J Gerontol Ser B, 2020.https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa066) thematic categorisation of gerontological research, we applied quantitative and qualitative content analysis to analyse “calls for action” within the statements. The content of NGGS’ position statements show a high level of agreement on the salient topics during the first wave of the pandemic and reveal shared values such as equality, diversity and inclusion of older adults and the discipline of gerontology to be an applied one with relevance to policy and practice. The results can support future interdisciplinary research in gerontology post Covid-19 based on a vision to contribute to a society of all ages.
mTOR deletion ameliorates CD4 + T cell apoptosis during sepsis by improving autophagosome-lysosome fusion
Authors: Wang Hao , Bai Guangxu , Chen Jianwei , Han Wen , Guo Ran , Cui Na
Published: April 2022

Autophagy dysfunction contributes to CD4 + T cell apoptosis during sepsis leading to impairment of adaptive immunity. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway modulates CD4 + T cell survival during sepsis through mechanisms that are not fully understood. We developed a mouse model of sepsis through cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to investigate dynamic changes in autophagy in CD4 + T cells. We used T cell specific-mTOR/tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1)-knockout mice to explore the roles of the mTOR pathway in modulating autophagy during sepsis. We observed reduced fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes in the CD4 + T cells of CLP mice, which may represent a characteristic feature of autophagy dysfunction. Deletion of mTOR relieved autophagosome-lysosome fusion dysfunction and ameliorated apoptosis of CD4 + T cells in CLP mice, but this rescued phenotype was abolished by treatment with bafilomycin A1, a specific A-L fusion inhibitor. We further explored the underlying molecular mechanism and found that phosphorylation levels of transcription factor EB were significant higher in CLP mice and that expression of A-L fusion protein SNAREs were restricted, both of which were ameliorated by mTOR deletion. Taken together, these results suggest that the mTOR pathway plays a critical role in regulation of CD4 + T-cell apoptosis during sepsis, partly through regulation of A-L fusion-related protein transcription.
The impact of financial deprivation on children’s cybersecurity knowledge & abilities
Authors: Prior Suzanne , Renaud Karen
Published: April 2022

Online users require a working knowledge of password “best practice”, as well as the ability to apply such knowledge. Children increasingly operate as independent agents online, and thus also need to be aware of password “best practice”. To meet this need, the Scottish curriculum for excellence includes lessons about password “best practice”. Hence, all Scottish children ought, theoretically, to have similar levels of password-related knowledge. They ought also, by age 8-9, to be able to apply their knowledge. One factor that could deter password-related knowledge acquisition and skill development is financial deprivation. To gauge its impact, we assessed the knowledge and abilities of Scottish 8-9 year old children, in four primary schools, in areas of varying financial deprivation. We uncovered stark differences in knowledge and password retention. There is a clear need for an extra-curricular intervention programme to teach up-to-date password “best practice” and support in developing the required password management skills. This will reduce their online vulnerabilities, whatever their socio-economic background.
Learning with the interactive whiteboard in the classroom: Its impact on vocabulary acquisition, motivation and the role of foreign language anxiety
Authors: Kühl Tim , Wohninsland Patrizia
Published: April 2022

When used in a sensible way, Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) are supposed to motivate and engage students in learning in the classroom. Thereby, they might also stimulate students who are usually more restrained, such as more anxious students. However, the body of research on the impact of IWB lessons is rather small. The present study investigated whether a 45-minute lesson with the IWB compared to a conceptual identical 45-minute lesson without the IWB would support learning and motivation within the subject English as a foreign language for German students. Moreover, the study examined whether the 45-minute lesson with the IWB compared to the 45-minute lesson without the IWB would be better able to counteract the detrimental effects of foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA). One hundred and two eighth graders from two secondary schools in Germany took part in this study and were either taught with the IWB (condition IWB; n = 53) or without the IWB (condition No-IWB; n = 50). Results showed that students in the IWB condition stated to be higher motivated and performed better in a vocabulary test than their counterparts in the No-IWB condition. FLCA was negatively correlated with performance in the vocabulary test. Other than expected, learning with the IWB did not compensate the detrimental effect of FLCA, meaning that learning with the IWB was more beneficial than learning without the IWB irrespective of a student’s FLCA. Implications of the study will be discussed.
Bearing Capacity of Cylindrical Caissons in Cohesive-Frictional Soils Using Axisymmetric Finite Element Limit Analysis
Authors: Keawsawasvong Suraparb , Shiau Jim , Yoonirundorn Kittiphan
Published: April 2022

This paper investigates the use of stability factors for estimating the ultimate bearing pressures on cylindrical caissons in cohesive-frictional soils. Rigorous upper and lower bound limit analyses with finite elements in axisymmetric (AX) condition are used for a series of numerical studies. The bearing capacity factors (Nc0, Nq0 and Nγ0) for a surface circular footing are firstly revisited. This is followed by a study on the effect of caisson’s embedded depth ratio (L/D). A comprehensive set of depth factors (Fcd, Fqd and Fγd) is then reported as a function of caisson’s embedded depth ratio (L/D) and soil internal friction angle (ϕ). The obtained results are compared with published solutions in the literature. Several examples are given to validate the principal of superposition as well as to illustrate on how to use the produced factors to estimate the ultimate bearing pressures on cylindrical caissons in cohesive-frictional soils. The study should be of great interests to practitioners.
A New Social Picture Task to Assess Interpretation Bias related to social fears in adolescents
Authors: Henricks Lisan A. , Lange Wolf-Gero , Luijten Maartje , Becker Eni S.
Published: April 2022

This pre-registered study focused on developing a new social picture task to assess interpretation bias related to social fears in adolescents. Using such a pictorial task may increase ecological validity and readily trigger emotional processes compared to more traditional verbal tasks that are often used. In the picture task, ambiguous social pictures were presented, followed by a positive and negative interpretation. In this study, we examined how the new task relates to an already existing interpretation bias task and how the new pictorial task relates to social fears in adolescents. The sample consisted of 329 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Interpretation bias was assessed with the newly developed pictorial task and with more traditional verbal vignettes. Social fears were measured with self-report questionnaires. The results suggest that the pictorial task was able to assess interpretation bias comparable to the verbal vignettes, suggesting appropriate convergent validity. Interpretation bias assessed with the picture task was linked to higher levels of fear of negative evaluation, the core symptom of social anxiety, but not to social anxiety symptoms in general. The verbal task was linked to both social fears and thus still seems the preferred method to investigate interpretation bias related to social fears in adolescents. However, we do believe that with further improvement of the pictorial task, it could be a useful addition to the research field.
Understanding the Contributions of Trait Autism and Anxiety to Extreme Demand Avoidance in the Adult General Population
Authors: White Rhianna , Livingston Lucy A. , Taylor Emily C. , Close Scarlett A. D. , Shah Punit , Callan Mitchell J.
Published: April 2022

Autism and anxiety are thought to be related to extreme demand avoidance (EDA), which is characterised by intense avoidance of everyday demands. However, the relative importance of autism and anxiety to EDA has yet to be investigated, and little is known about EDA in adulthood. We conducted two online survey studies (Ns = 267 and 549) with adults in the general population to establish the relative importance of autistic traits and anxiety as predictors of demand avoidance, using dominance analysis. Both autistic traits and anxiety were unique and equally important predictors of demand avoidance. These findings suggest EDA is linked to autism and are consistent with the theory that demand avoidance behaviours are potentially anxiety-driven in adults.
Biotechnological recovery of uranium (VI) from Abu Zeneima spent ore residue using green lixiviant
Authors: Khalafalla Mahmoud S.
Published: April 2022

Promising green leaching technique was used by Humic acid (HA) for removing uranium from Abu Zeneima spent residue for environmental safety and cost-effective leaching. The studied residue is outlet from vat leaching process using sulfuric acid leaching of carbonaceous shale ore material with initial uranium assays 185 ppm, which representing a hazardous waste. The overall leaching efficiency assaying 93% of uranium using humic acid leaching at curing temperature 70 °C, 13% HA with S/L ratio of 1/1.5 for 15 day. Kinetic study of leaching process proved diffusion controlling mechanism with activated energy 10.297 kJ/mol. Finally; 98% of uranium was extracted using Amberlite IRA- 400 resin with purity of 97.3%.
Systematic implementation of higher order Whitney forms in methods based on discrete exterior calculus
Authors: Lohi Jonni
Published: April 2022

We present a systematic way to implement higher order Whitney forms in numerical methods based on discrete exterior calculus. Given a simplicial mesh, we first refine the mesh into smaller simplices which can be used to define higher order Whitney forms. Cochains on this refined mesh can then be interpolated using higher order Whitney forms. Hence, when the refined mesh is used with methods based on discrete exterior calculus, the solution can be expressed as a higher order Whitney form. We present algorithms for the three required steps: refining the mesh, solving the coefficients of the interpolant, and evaluating the interpolant at a given point. With our algorithms, the order of the Whitney forms one wishes to use can be given as a parameter so that the same code covers all orders, which is a significant improvement on previous implementations. Our algorithms are applicable with all methods in which the degrees of freedom are integrals over mesh simplices — that is, when the solution is a cochain on a simplicial mesh. They can also be used when one simply wishes to approximate differential forms in finite-dimensional spaces. Numerical examples validate the generality of our algorithms.
Spatial variation of rodenticides and emerging contaminants in blood of raptor nestlings from Germany
Authors: Badry Alexander , Schenke Detlef , Brücher Helmut , Chakarov Nayden , Grünkorn Thomas , Illner Hubertus , Krüger Oliver , Marczak Torsten , Müskens Gerard , Nachtigall Winfried , Zollinger Ronald , Treu Gabriele , Krone Oliver
Published: April 2022

Wildlife exposures to pest controlling substances have resulted in population declines of many predatory species during the past decades. Many pesticides were subsequently classified as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) and banned on national or global scales. However, despite their risks for non-target vertebrate wildlife, PBT substances such as anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are still permitted for use in Europe and have shown to threaten raptors. Whereas risks of ARs are known, much less information is available on emerging agrochemicals such as currently used PPPs and medicinal products (MPs) in higher trophic level species. We expect that currently used PPPs are relatively mobile (vs. lipophilic) as a consequence of the PBT criteria and thus more likely to be present in aqueous matrices. We therefore analyzed blood of 204 raptor nestlings of three terrestrial (red kite, common buzzard, Montagu’s harrier) and two aquatic species (white-tailed sea eagle, osprey) from Germany. In total, we detected ARs in 22.6% of the red kites and 8.6% of the buzzards, whereas no Montagu’s harriers or aquatic species were exposed prior to sampling. ΣAR concentration tended to be higher in North Rhine-Westphalia (vs. North-Eastern Germany) where population density is higher and intense livestock farming more frequent. Among the 90 targeted and currently used PPPs, we detected six substances from which bromoxynil (14.2%) was most frequent. Especially Montagu’s harrier (31%) and red kites (22.6%) were exposed and concentrations were higher in North Rhine-Westphalia as well. Among seven MPs, we detected ciprofloxacin (3.4%), which indicates that risk mitigation measures may be needed as resistance genes were already detected in wildlife from Germany. Taken together, our study demonstrates that raptors are exposed to various chemicals during an early life stage depending on their sampling location and underpins that red kites are at particular risk for multiple pesticide exposures in Germany.
Terminal value calculation with discontinuous financing and debt categories
Authors: Dierkes Stefan , de Maeyer Imke
Published: April 2022

Empirical analyses indicate that active and passive debt management have limited power to explain the financing behavior of firms. Therefore, discontinuous financing, as a combination of active and passive debt management, might be a more realistic financing strategy. However, the properties of this financing strategy for the steady state have not yet been sufficiently analyzed. For this reason, we investigate analytically terminal value calculation with discontinuous financing and derive adjustment formulas for the period-specific levered cost of equity. Since a single adjustment of the entire debt at the beginning of every planning phase might still not be close to the real financing behavior of firms, we modify discontinuous financing by introducing debt categories, which are adjusted successively and include the maturity of debt. For this new financing strategy, we derive valuation equations and an adjustment formula for the constant cost of equity. Finally, we discuss the relevance and applicability of discontinuous financing with debt categories and its impact on the market value of a firm.