bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient-specific simulation of stent-graft deployment in type B aortic dissection: model development and validation
Authors: Kan Xiaoxin , Ma Tao , Lin Jing , Wang Lu , Dong Zhihui , Xu Xiao Yun
Published: August 2021

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has been accepted as the mainstream treatment for type B aortic dissection, but post-TEVAR biomechanical-related complications are still a major drawback. Unfortunately, the stent-graft (SG) configuration after implantation and biomechanical interactions between the SG and local aorta are usually unknown prior to a TEVAR procedure. The ability to obtain such information via personalised computational simulation would greatly assist clinicians in pre-surgical planning. In this study, a virtual SG deployment simulation framework was developed for the treatment for a complicated aortic dissection case. It incorporates patient-specific anatomical information based on pre-TEVAR CT angiographic images, details of the SG design and the mechanical properties of the stent wire, graft and dissected aorta. Hyperelastic material parameters for the aortic wall were determined based on uniaxial tensile testing performed on aortic tissue samples taken from type B aortic dissection patients. Pre-stress conditions of the aortic wall and the action of blood pressure were also accounted for. The simulated post-TEVAR configuration was compared with follow-up CT scans, demonstrating good agreement with mean deviations of 5.8% in local open area and 4.6 mm in stent strut position. Deployment of the SG increased the maximum principal stress by 24.30 kPa in the narrowed true lumen but reduced the stress by 31.38 kPa in the entry tear region where there was an aneurysmal expansion. Comparisons of simulation results with different levels of model complexity suggested that pre-stress of the aortic wall and blood pressure inside the SG should be included in order to accurately predict the deformation of the deployed SG.
Effect of overload on changes in mechanical and structural properties of the annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disc
Authors: Żak Małgorzata , Pezowicz Celina
Published: August 2021

The research focussed on analysing structural and mechanical properties in the intervertebral disc (IVD), caused by long-term cyclic loading. Spinal motion segments were divided into two groups: the control (C), and the group in which it was analysed the impact of posterior column in the load-bearing system of the spine—specimens with intact posterior column (IPC) and without posterior column (WPC). To evaluate the structural and mechanical changes, the specimens were tested with simulation of 100,000 compression-flexion load cycles after which it was performed macroscopic analysis. Mechanical properties of the annulus fibrosis (AF) from the anterior and posterior regions of the IVD were tested at the uniaxial tension test. The stiffness coefficient values were statistically 32% higher in the WPC group (110 N/mm) than in the IPC (79 N/mm). The dynamics of increase in this parameter does not correspond with the course of decrease in height loss. WPC segments revealed clear structural changes that mainly involve the posterior regions of the IVD (bulging and delamination with the effect of separation of collagen fibre bundles). Pathological changes also caused decreases in the value of stress in the AF. The greatest changes in the stress value about group C (7.43 ± 4.49 MPa) were observed in the front part of the fibrous ring, where this value was for IPC 4.49 ± 4.78 MPa and WPC 2.56 ± 1.01 MPa. The research indicates that the applied load model allows simulating damage that occurs in pathological IVD. And the posterior column’s presence affects this change’s dynamics, structural and mechanical properties of AF.
Mechanical factors contributing to the Venus flytrap’s rate-dependent response to stimuli
Authors: Saikia Eashan , Läubli Nino F. , Vogler Hannes , Rüggeberg Markus , Herrmann Hans J. , Burgert Ingo , Burri Jan T. , Nelson Bradley J. , Grossniklaus Ueli , Wittel Falk K.
Published: August 2021

The sensory hairs of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) detect mechanical stimuli imparted by their prey and fire bursts of electrical signals called action potentials (APs). APs are elicited when the hairs are sufficiently stimulated and two consecutive APs can trigger closure of the trap. Earlier experiments have identified thresholds for the relevant stimulus parameters, namely the angular displacement $$\theta $$
θ
and angular velocity $$\omega $$
ω
. However, these experiments could not trace the deformation of the trigger hair’s sensory cells, which are known to transduce the mechanical stimulus. To understand the kinematics at the cellular level, we investigate the role of two relevant mechanical phenomena: viscoelasticity and intercellular fluid transport using a multi-scale numerical model of the sensory hair. We hypothesize that the combined influence of these two phenomena and $$\omega $$
ω
contribute to the flytrap’s rate-dependent response to stimuli. In this study, we firstly perform sustained deflection tests on the hair to estimate the viscoelastic material properties of the tissue. Thereafter, through simulations of hair deflection tests at different loading rates, we were able to establish a multi-scale kinematic link between $$\omega $$
ω
and the cell wall stretch $$\delta $$
δ
. Furthermore, we find that the rate at which $$\delta $$
δ
evolves during a stimulus is also proportional to $$\omega $$
ω
. This suggests that mechanosensitive ion channels, expected to be stretch-activated and localized in the plasma membrane of the sensory cells, could be additionally sensitive to the rate at which stretch is applied.
Decentralised Finance — wie die Tokenisierung die Finanzindustrie verändert
Authors: Brühl Volker
Published: August 2021

Die Distributed Ledger- bzw. Blockchain-Technologie führt zu einer zunehmenden Dezentralisierung von Finanzdienstleistungen, die weitgehend ohne die Einschaltung von Finanzintermediären angeboten werden können. Dazu trägt wesentlich die „Tokenisierung“ von Vermögensgegenständen, Zahlungsmitteln und Rechten bei, die verschlüsselt als Kryptowerte in verteilten Transaktionsregistern digital abgebildet werden können. Dieser Beitrag erläutert die Grundlagen und Anwendungsfelder dezentraler Finanzdienstleistungen mit Kryptowerten, die mittelfristig die gesamte Architektur des Finanzsektors verändern könnten.
Zur Gleichstellung beim Entgelt von Frauen und Männern mit gleicher Qualifikation
Authors: Koll Willi
Published: August 2021

Lohnungleichheit ist ein zentrales Element, das einer Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern entgegensteht. Selbst bei Ausschluss bekannter lohnrelevanter Unterschiede, d. h. bei gleicher Qualifikation, besteht nach wie vor eine Lohnlücke zulasten der Frauen: der bereinigte Gender Pay Gap. Geburtsbedingte Mehrkosten für Unternehmen könnten einen Teil des bereinigten Gender Pay Gap erklären. Zur Kompensation dieser Mehrkosten und zur Beendigung einer Diskriminierung in der Lohnfindung werden mögliche Ansatzpunkte diskutiert.
Wird die Konjunkturkomponente der Schuldenbremse ihrer Aufgabe noch gerecht?
Authors: Krahé Max , Schuster Florian , Sigl-Glöckner Philippa
Published: August 2021

In der Debatte um die Schuldenbremse geht es zumeist um eine Grundgesetzänderung. Dabei ist ein wesentlicher Teil der Schuldenbremse — die Konjunkturkomponente, welche eine Defizitbeschränkung mit antizyklischer Fiskalpolitik vereinen soll — einfachgesetzlich definiert. Sieht man sich diese genauer an, besteht gerade hier Reformbedarf: Die Konjunkturkomponente in ihrer heutigen Ausgestaltung berücksichtigt nicht den neuesten Stand der Wissenschaft, schafft demokratisch fragwürdigen Ermessensspielraum und trägt nur bedingt zu tragfähigen öffentlichen Finanzen bei. Eine einfachgesetzliche Reform der Konjunkturkomponente könnte daher einen pragmatischen Schritt in Richtung einer zukunftsfähigeren Finanzpolitik darstellen.
Validation of a Miniaturized Test Loop for the Assessment of Human Blood Damage by Continuous-Flow Left-Ventricular Assist Devices
Authors: Woelke Eva , Mager Ilona , Schmitz-Rode Thomas , Steinseifer Ulrich , Clauser Johanna C.
Published: August 2021

Despite improved hemocompatibility of left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs), assessment of blood damage remains mandatory in preclinical testing as standardized by ASTM-F1841. The most relevant test fluid is fresh, non-pooled human blood, but the limited volume of a standard donation requires significantly smaller loops than those commonly used with animal blood. In a recent study with porcine blood, we verified a miniaturized test loop with only 160 mL for the ASTM-conform paired testing of at least two LVADs and a static reference. Here, we validated this mini test loop for standardized assessment of blood damage with one 450-mL single donation of fresh human blood. Blood damage was assessed for HeartMate 3 and BPX-80 in 9 experiments with heparinized human blood for 6 hours. We analyzed plasma free hemoglobin, von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentration and collagen-binding functionality and calculated indices of hemolysis and vWF-ratios. Overall, we observed less blood damage compared to our previous study; however, the differences in mean indices of hemolysis and in mean normalized vWF-ratio between BPX-80 and HeartMate 3 were consistent for human blood. Thus, our mini test loop proved to be valid for preclinical standardized assessment of blood damage with only 450 mL of fresh human blood.
Exploring interaction effects from mechanisms between climate and land-use changes and the projected consequences on biodiversity
Authors: Nunez Sarahi , Alkemade Rob
Published: August 2021

Changes in climate and land use are major drivers of biodiversity loss. These drivers likely interact and their mutual effects alter biodiversity. These interaction mechanisms are rarely considered in biodiversity assessments, as only the combined individual effects are reported. In this study, we explored interaction effects from mechanisms that potentially affect biodiversity under climate change. These mechanisms entail that climate-change effects on, for example, species abundance and species’ range shifts depend on land-use change. Similarly, land-use change impacts are contingent on climate change. We explored interaction effects from four mechanisms and projected their consequences on biodiversity. These interactions arise if species adapted to modified landscapes (e.g. cropland) differ in their sensitivity to climate change from species adapted to natural landscapes. We verified these interaction effects by performing a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of 42 bioclimatic studies (with different increases in global mean temperature) on species distributions in landscapes with varying cropland levels. We used the Fraction of Remaining Species as the effect-size metric in this meta-analysis. The influence of global mean temperature increase on FRS did not significantly change with different cropland levels. This finding excluded interaction effects between climate and landscapes that are modified by other land uses than cropping. Although we only assessed coarse climate and land-use patterns, global mean temperature increase was a good, significant model predictor for biodiversity decline. This emphasizes the need to analyse interactions between land-use and climate-change effects on biodiversity simultaneously in other modified landscapes. Such analyses should also integrate other conditions, such as spatial location, adaptive capacity and time lags. Understanding all these interaction mechanisms and other conditions will help to better project future biodiversity trends and to develop coping strategies for biodiversity conservation.
Suicide in prison and after release: a 17-year national cohort study
Authors: Bukten Anne , Stavseth Marianne Riksheim
Published: August 2021

Background

People in prison have an extremely high risk of suicide. The aim of this paper is to describe all suicides in the Norwegian prison population from 2000 to 2016, during and following imprisonment; to investigate the timing of suicides; and to investigate the associations between risk of suicide and types of crime.

Methods

We used data from the Norwegian Prison Release study (nPRIS) including complete national register data from the Norwegian Prison Register and the Norwegian Cause of Death Register in the period 1.1.2000 to 31.12.2016, consisting of 96,856 individuals. All suicides were classified according to ICD-10 codes X60-X84. We calculated crude mortality rates (CMRs) per 100,000 person-years and used a Cox Proportional-Hazards regression model to investigate factors associated with suicide during imprisonment and after release reported as hazard ratios (HRs).

Results

Suicide accounted for about 10% of all deaths in the Norwegian prison population and was the leading cause of death in prison (53% of in deaths in prison). The CMR per 100,000 person years for in-prison suicides was 133.8 (CI 100.5–167.1) and was ten times higher (CMR = 1535.0, CI 397.9–2672.2) on day one of incarceration. Suicides after release (overall CMR = 82.8, CI 100.5–167.1) also peaked on day one after release (CMR = 665.7, CI 0–1419.1). Suicide in prison was strongly associated with convictions of homicide (HR 18.2, CI 6.5–50.8) and high-security prison level (HR 15.4, CI 3.6–65.0). Suicide after release was associated with convictions of homicide (HR 3.1, CI 1.7–5.5).

Conclusion

There is a high risk of suicide during the immediate first period of incarceration and after release. Convictions for severe violent crime, especially homicide, are associated with increased suicide risk, both in prison and after release.
Corrupting the Youth: Should Parents Feed their Children Meat?
Authors: Butt Daniel
Published: August 2021

This article is concerned with choices that parents or guardians make about the food they give to their children. Those with primary responsibility for the care of young children determine the set of foods that their children eat and have a significant impact on children’s subsequent dietary choices, both in later childhood and in adulthood. I argue that parents have a morally significant reason not to feed meat to their children, which stems from their fiduciary responsibility for the child’s moral development. This should, at a minimum, be factored into parental decisions about their children’s diet. In the absence of compelling countervailing reasons, it will mean that parents should not, in an all-things-considered sense, feed meat to their children. This claim does not rely upon the obviously contentious claim that it is morally wrong to eat meat. Instead, the fact that children, when adults, may reasonably themselves come to believe that consuming meat is wrong gives parents morally compelling reasons to avoid acting in ways which may have the predictable consequence of corrupting the moral character of those for whom they are responsible.
Subatomic Particles, Epistemic Stances, and Kantian Antinomies
Authors: Henschen Tobias
Published: August 2021

In Scientific Ontology, Chakravartty diagnoses a “dramatic conflict” between empiricism and metaphysics and aims to overcome that conflict by opting for a modern-day variant of Pyrrhonism, i.e. by appreciating the equal strength (isostheneia) of the arguments for and against the empiricist and metaphysical positions, and by achieving tranquility (ataraxia) by suspending judgment or remaining speechless in the face of that isostheneia. In this paper, I want to argue that instead of remaining speechless in the face of the isostheneia of the arguments for and against the empiricist and metaphysical positions, we should adopt a position that remains underrated in Chakravartty’s analysis: a position that amounts to a modern-day variant of the Kantian combination of transcendental idealism and empirical realism, and that like the original Kantian combination, is capable of solving many instances of the dramatic conflict between empiricism and metaphysics and, in particular, a conflict that is the talk of the town in philosophy of science these days—the conflict between ontic-structural realism and Lewisian metaphysics.
A Novel STK4 Mutation Impairs T Cell Immunity Through Dysregulation of Cytokine-Induced Adhesion and Chemotaxis Genes
Authors: Guennoun Andrea , Bougarn Salim , Khan Taushif , Mackeh Rafah , Rahman Mahbuba , Al-Ali Fatima , Ata Manar , Aamer Waleed , Prosser Debra , Habib Tanwir , Chin-Smith Evonne , Al-Darwish Khawla , Zhang Qian , Al-Shakaki Alya , Robay Amal , Crystal Ronald G. , Fakhro Khalid , Al-Naimi Amal , Al Maslamani Eman , Tuffaha Amjad , Janahi Ibrahim , Janahi Mohammad , Love Donald R. , Karim Mohammed Yousuf , Lo Bernice , Hassan Amel , Adeli Mehdi , Marr Nico
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Human serine/threonine kinase 4 (STK4) deficiency is a rare, autosomal recessive genetic disorder leading to combined immunodeficiency; however, the extent to which immune signaling and host defense are impaired is unclear. We assessed the functional consequences of a novel, homozygous nonsense STK4 mutation (NM_006282.2:c.871C > T, p.Arg291*) identified in a pediatric patient by comparing his innate and adaptive cell-mediated and humoral immune responses with those of three heterozygous relatives and unrelated controls.

Methods

The genetic etiology was verified by whole genome and Sanger sequencing. STK4 gene and protein expression was measured by quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting, respectively. Cellular abnormalities were assessed by high-throughput RT-RCR, RNA-Seq, ELISA, and flow cytometry. Antibody responses were assessed by ELISA and phage immunoprecipitation-sequencing.

Results

The patient exhibited partial loss of STK4 expression and complete loss of STK4 function combined with recurrent viral and bacterial infections, notably persistent Epstein–Barr virus viremia and pulmonary tuberculosis. Cellular and molecular analyses revealed abnormal fractions of T cell subsets, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and NK cells. The transcriptional responses of the patient’s whole blood and PBMC samples indicated dysregulated interferon signaling, impaired T cell immunity, and increased T cell apoptosis as well as impaired regulation of cytokine-induced adhesion and leukocyte chemotaxis genes. Nonetheless, the patient had detectable vaccine-specific antibodies and IgG responses to various pathogens, consistent with a normal CD19 + B cell fraction, albeit with a distinctive antibody repertoire, largely driven by herpes virus antigens.

Conclusion

Patients with STK4 deficiency can exhibit broad impairment of immune function extending beyond lymphoid cells.
Embedding to reference t-SNE space addresses batch effects in single-cell classification
Authors: Poličar Pavlin G. , Stražar Martin , Zupan Blaž
Published: August 2021

Dimensionality reduction techniques, such as t-SNE, can construct informative visualizations of high-dimensional data. When jointly visualising multiple data sets, a straightforward application of these methods often fails; instead of revealing underlying classes, the resulting visualizations expose dataset-specific clusters. To circumvent these batch effects, we propose an embedding procedure that uses a t-SNE visualization constructed on a reference data set as a scaffold for embedding new data points. Each data instance from a new, unseen, secondary data is embedded independently and does not change the reference embedding. This prevents any interactions between instances in the secondary data and implicitly mitigates batch effects. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by analyzing six recently published single-cell gene expression data sets with up to tens of thousands of cells and thousands of genes. The batch effects in our studies are particularly strong as the data comes from different institutions using different experimental protocols. The visualizations constructed by our proposed approach are clear of batch effects, and the cells from secondary data sets correctly co-cluster with cells of the same type from the primary data. We also show the predictive power of our simple, visual classification approach in t-SNE space matches the accuracy of specialized machine learning techniques that consider the entire compendium of features that profile single cells.
Phygital interfaces for people with intellectual disability: an exploratory study at a social care center
Authors: Gelsomini Mirko , Spitale Micol , Garzotto Franca
Published: August 2021

Phygital interaction is a form of tangible interaction where digital and physical contents are combined in such a way that the locus of multimedia information is detached from the physical material(s) manipulated by the user. The use of phygital interaction is supported by several theoretical approaches that emphasize the development of cognitive skills dependent upon embodied interactions with the physical environment. Several studies demonstrate the potential of using phygital technologies for supporting people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the development of cognitive, sensorimotor, social and behavioral skills. Our research aims at exploring the potential of phygital interaction for (young) adults with ID in a real setting, using a research platform called Reflex as a case study. For this purpose, we ran an empirical study involving 17 participants with ID and 8 specialists, and compared Reflex with approaches making use of only digital contents or paper-based materials. Our findings highlighted the potentials of phygital approaches to perform interventions with people with ID, enhancing their performances with an appreciated interaction method. In addition, the post-study interviews with specialists favoured the adoption of phygital technologies in a social care context.
Copula-based software metrics aggregation
Authors: Ulan Maria , Löwe Welf , Ericsson Morgan , Wingkvist Anna
Published: August 2021

A quality model is a conceptual decomposition of an abstract notion of quality into relevant, possibly conflicting characteristics and further into measurable metrics. For quality assessment and decision making, metrics values are aggregated to characteristics and ultimately to quality scores. Aggregation has often been problematic as quality models do not provide the semantics of aggregation. This makes it hard to formally reason about metrics, characteristics, and quality. We argue that aggregation needs to be interpretable and mathematically well defined in order to assess, to compare, and to improve quality. To address this challenge, we propose a probabilistic approach to aggregation and define quality scores based on joint distributions of absolute metrics values. To evaluate the proposed approach and its implementation under realistic conditions, we conduct empirical studies on bug prediction of ca. 5000 software classes, maintainability of ca. 15000 open-source software systems, and on the information quality of ca. 100000 real-world technical documents. We found that our approach is feasible, accurate, and scalable in performance.
The mereology of thermodynamic equilibrium
Authors: te Vrugt Michael
Published: August 2021

The special composition question (SCQ), which asks under which conditions objects compose a further object, establishes a central debate in modern metaphysics. Recent successes of inductive metaphysics, which studies the implications of the natural sciences for metaphysical problems, suggest that insights into the SCQ can be gained by investigating the physics of composite systems. In this work, I show that the minus first law of thermodynamics, which is concerned with the approach to equilibrium, leads to a new approach to the SCQ, thethermodynamic composition principle(TCP): Multiple systems in (generalized) thermal contact compose a single system. This principle, which is justified based on a systematic classification of possible mereological models for thermodynamic systems, might form the basis of an inductive argument for universalism. A formal analysis of the TCP is provided on the basis of mereotopology, which is a combination of mereology and topology. Here, “thermal contact” can be analyzed using the mereotopological predicate “self-connectedness”. Self-connectedness has to be defined in terms of mereological sums to ensure that scattered objects cannot be self-connected.
Untapped research opportunities in China: promising future avenues and potential concerns for aging companion animals
Authors: Hoffman Jessica M. , Song Shanshan , Brugger Katharina , Valencak Teresa G.
Published: August 2021

Companion animals have recently been proposed as ideal translational models of human aging due to their shared susceptibility for certain diseases, similar environments, and sophisticated veterinary medicine diagnostics, all of which are not possible in rodent laboratory models. Here, we introduce and propose the study of companion animals in China as a largely untapped resource in academic and veterinary aging research. Pet ownership rates along with economic gains in the pet industry have skyrocketed over the last decade in China. Yet, the majority of research institutions still focus on agricultural animal research, not companion animals. In this perspective, we compare available pet ownership rates between the USA, the European Union, and China before focusing on the potential of companion animal aging research in China. In addition, we highlight some ethical considerations that must be addressed before large-scale companion animal aging research can be completed.
Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms (GI-NENs): hot topics in morphological, functional, and prognostic imaging
Authors: Danti Ginevra , Flammia Federica , Matteuzzi Benedetta , Cozzi Diletta , Berti Valentina , Grazzini Giulia , Pradella Silvia , Recchia Laura , Brunese Luca , Miele Vittorio
Published: August 2021

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are heterogeneous tumours with a common phenotype descended from the diffuse endocrine system. NENs are found nearly anywhere in the body but the most frequent location is the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms (GI-NENs) are rather uncommon, representing around 2% of all gastrointestinal tumours and 20–30% of all primary neoplasms of the small bowel. GI-NENs have various clinical manifestations due to the different substances they can produce; some of these tumours appear to be associated with familial syndromes, such as multiple endocrine neoplasm and neurofibromatosis type 1. The current WHO classification (2019) divides NENs into three major categories: well-differentiated NENs, poorly differentiated NENs, and mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms. The diagnosis, localization, and staging of GI-NENs include morphology and functional imaging, above all contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT), and in the field of nuclear medicine imaging, a key role is played by 68Ga-labelled-somatostatin analogues (68Ga-DOTA-peptides) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/TC). In this review of recent literature, we described the objectives of morphological/functional imaging and potential future possibilities of prognostic imaging in the assessment of GI-NENs.
Conquering nightmares on the phone: one-session counseling using imagery rehearsal therapy
Authors: Lüth Katharina , Schmitt Judith , Schredl Michael
Published: August 2021

Background

Since people with nightmares rarely seek help, low-threshold interventions and self-help methods are needed. Among different treatment approaches for nightmares, imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) is the method of choice.

Objective

In the current study, the authors tested whether IRT is also effective when applied in a short version, within the scope of a single session of telephone counseling.

Methods

The nightmare frequency and nightmare distress of 28 participants was investigated before and 8 weeks after one session of telephone counseling. The 30-minute session included information on nightmare etiology as well as a short version of IRT. The session was followed by an 8‑week period of self-practice. Participants were either part of a student group or part of a group of patients from a sleep laboratory. Within-group and between-group differences were assessed. There was no control group.

Results

The intervention significantly reduced nightmare frequency and nightmare distress in the total sample and in both samples individually analyzed. Effect sizes were very high compared to those of waiting-list control groups of similar studies.

Conclusion

We were able to show that a one-session intervention can be enough to achieve significant relief from nightmares. As nightmares are underdiagnosed and undertreated, this approach might help to provide a low-threshold intervention for nightmare sufferers.
Rassismuskritik als Identitätspolitik?
Authors: Scherr Albert
Published: August 2021

Über die wissenschaftliche Tragfähigkeit und die gesellschaftlichen Konsequenzen identitätspolitischer Positionen, wie sie nicht zuletzt in der Rassismuskritik einflussreich sind, hat sich eine heftige Kontroverse entwickelt. Der Beitrag zeigt Erfordernisse und Perspektiven einer differenzierten Auseinandersetzung mit unterschiedlichen Spielarten von Identitätspolitik und ihrer Kritik auf.
In der Offenen Jugendarbeit geht noch was
Authors: Schwerthelm Moritz , Sturzenhecker Benedikt
Published: August 2021

Die Assistenz von Selbstorganisation benachteiligter junger Menschen ist eine zentrale fachliche Aufgabe Offener Kinder- und Jugendarbeit. Sie entsteht aus den strukturellen Potenzialen der OKJA für demokratische Partizipation. Das Konzept von Selbstorganisation in der Jugendarbeit ist von einer Selbstorganisation neoliberaler Lesart abzugrenzen. Hemmnisse professioneller Assistenz von Selbstorganisation werden analysiert und Ansätze zu einer besseren Förderung entwickelt.
The Impact of the Real Estate Crisis on a South European Metropolis: From Urban Diffusion to Reurbanisation
Authors: Crisci Massimiliano
Published: August 2021

Beginning in the 1970s, the urban core of the Rome Metropolitan Area (RMA) experienced four decades of intense depopulation and urban diffusion, which caused a considerable social impact. On the basis of an original dataset on residential mobility within the city of Rome, this paper aims to show that the RMA is currently experiencing a new stage of reurbanisation resulting from the bursting of the housing bubble after the 2008 crisis. Unlike other European contexts, the RMA repopulation is lacking forms of “urban resurgence” and is taking place in one of the most difficult periods of the city’s recent history. Paradoxically, the trend of private real estate market succeeded to stop urban sprawl where for a long time public decision-maker had failed. This created an opportunity to finally govern the process and steadily halt the urban diffusion, implementing targeted residential densification measures aimed at stabilising the demographic recovery of the urban core and preventing a return to urban sprawl.
Emotion Speech Synthesis Method Based on Multi-Channel Time–Frequency Domain Generative Adversarial Networks (MC-TFD GANs) and Mixup
Authors: Jia Ning , Zheng Chunjun
Published: August 2021

As one of the most challenging and promising topics in speech field, emotion speech synthesis is a hot topic in current research. At present, the emotion expression ability, synthesis speed and robustness of synthetic speech need to be improved. Cycle-consistent Adversarial Networks (CycleGAN) provides a two-way breakthrough in the transformation of emotional corpus information. But there is still a gap between the real target and the synthesis speech. In order to narrow this gap, we propose an emotion speech synthesis method combining multi-channel Time–frequency Domain Generative Adversarial Networks (MC-TFD GANs) and Mixup. It includes three stages: multichannel Time–frequency Domain GANs (MC-TFD GANs), loss estimation based on Mixup and effective emotion region stacking based on Mixup. Among them, the gating unit GTLU (gated tanh linear units) and the image expression method of speech saliency region are designed. It combines the Time–frequency Domain MaskCycleGAN based on improved GTLU and the time-domain CycleGAN based on saliency region to form the multi-channel GAN in the first stage. Based on Mixup method, the calculation method of loss and the aggravation degree of emotion region are designed. Compared with several popular speech synthesis methods, the comparative experiments were carried out on the interactive emotional dynamic motion capture (IEMOCAP) corpus. The bi-directional three-layer long short-term memory (LSTM) model was used as the verification model. The experimental results showed that the mean opinion score (MOS) and the unweighted accuracy (UA) of the speech generated by the synthesis method were improved, and the improvements were 4% and 2.7%, respectively. The current model was superior to the existing GANs model in subjective evaluation and objective experiments, ensure that the speech generated by this model had higher reliability, better fluency and emotional expression ability.
Graphene-based composite membranes for nanofiltration: performances and future perspectives
Authors: Voicu S. I. , Thakur V. K.
Published: August 2021

Nanofiltration is one of the most widely used membrane processes for water purification with high practical value because of a large number of chemical species that are separated through this process. Usually, for nanofiltration, high energy–consuming operations are involved including the generation of enough pressure for the rejection of jumps and lower molecular weight chemicals at the surface of the membrane. Recent developments in the synthesis of nanocomposite membranes with graphene and graphene derivatives have led to an increase in energy requirements and the increase in membranes performances. In the present review, we have presented the recent advances in the field of graphene-based composite membranes for nanofiltration with applications for both types of based solvents—aqueous solutions and organic solvents. The presentation will be focused especially on the performances of membranes and applications of these materials for the rejection of salts (Na+, Mg2+), heavy metals (Li2+), and lower molecular weight organic compounds (methylene blue, Congo red, Direct Red, Methyl orange, Reactive green 13, etc.). Modern synthesis methods like interfacial polymerization for obtaining thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes are also presented.
Training is the foundation of security
Authors: Paterson Oliver
Published: August 2021

No business, no matter what its size, is immune from the threat of a cyber attack. This is evidenced by the number of cases rising year on year, particularly during the height of the pandemic, with the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) reporting a 20% increase in serious incidents compared to 2018-2019. Cyber attacks are also becoming more innovative and we're already seeing an increase in new and advanced tactics, such as fileless malware and crypto-miners.
The Unmeritorious ‘Legality’/‘Merits’ Distinction in Singapore Administrative Law
Authors: Ong Benjamin Joshua
Published: August 2021

The Singapore courts often state that judicial review of executive decision-making ought only to involve an inquiry into the ‘legality’ of a decision or the ‘decision-making process’, and not the ‘decision itself’ or its ‘merits’ – let us call this the ‘Distinction’. This article argues that the Distinction should be expunged from Singapore law. The Distinction has its roots in English case law which aimed to prevent the courts from arbitrarily substituting their decision for the executive's by reason of mere disagreement. But Singapore case law has gone further and treated the Distinction as a general principle applicable to all of administrative law. However, the Distinction is too vague for this purpose (as seen from Singapore cases which have interpreted the distinction inconsistently). It is conceptually problematic, incompatible with the practicalities of judicial review (particularly substantive review as recognized in Singapore law), and has occasionally been paid lip service but not followed in substance. The Distinction cannot form a coherent principle to guide the courts and ought to be replaced by a more nuanced application of constitutional principles relevant to determining the appropriate scope of review. Whatever these principles may be, and however they are to be balanced, the Distinction can be but an over-inclusive rough approximation of them which hampers the development of the law.
Antibiotic overuse after discharge from medical short-stay units
Authors: Soper Nathaniel S. , Appukutty Abhinav J. , Paje David , Petty Lindsay A. , Flanders Scott A. , Zhang Qisu , Horowitz Jennifer K. , Vaughn Valerie M.
Published: August 2021

Of 100 patients discharged from short-stay units (SSUs) with antibiotics, 47 had a skin and soft-tissue infection, 22 had pneumonia, and 21 had a urinary tract infection. Among all discharge antibiotic prescriptions, 78% involved antibiotic overuse, most commonly excess duration (54 of 100) and guideline discordant selection (44 of 100).
Dynamics of droplets under electrowetting effect with voltages exceeding the contact angle saturation threshold
Authors: Vo Quoc , Tran Tuan
Published: August 2021

Electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) is a powerful tool in many droplet-manipulation applications with a notorious weakness caused by contact-angle saturation (CAS), a phenomenon limiting the equilibrium contact angle of an EWOD-actuated droplet at high applied voltage. In this paper, we study the spreading behaviours of droplets on EWOD substrates with the range of applied voltage exceeding the saturation limit. We experimentally find that at the initial stage of spreading, the driving force at the contact line still follows the Young–Lippmann law even if the applied voltage is higher than the CAS voltage. We then theoretically establish the relation between the initial contact-line velocity and the applied voltage using the force balance at the contact line. We also find that the amplitude of capillary waves on the droplet surface generated by the contact line's initial motion increases with the applied voltage. We provide a working framework utilising EWOD with voltages beyond CAS by characterising the capillary waves formed on the droplet surface and their self-similar behaviours. We finally propose a theoretical model of the wave profiles taking into account the viscous effects and verify this model experimentally. Our results provide avenues to utilise the EWOD effect with voltages beyond the CAS threshold, and have strong bearing on emerging applications such as digital microfluidic and ink-jet printing.
Impact of olfactory dysfunction on quality of life in coronavirus disease 2019 patients: a systematic review
Authors: Saniasiaya J , Prepageran N
Published: August 2021

Objective

To outline the impact on quality of life in coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory dysfunction.

Methods

Five databases were searched for articles referring to the impact on quality of life in coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory dysfunction. The search was conducted for the period from November 2019 to April 2021. The search was conducted over one month (May 2021).

Results

Four studies that met the objective were included. Altogether, there were 1045 patients. Various questionnaires were used to assess quality of life. Overall, the quality of life deficit affected 67.7 per cent of patients. Quality of life domains investigated include overall quality of life (four studies), food and taste dysfunction (two studies), mental health (two studies), cognitive function (one study), functional outcome (one study) and safety domains (one study).

Conclusion

Quality of life deficit was reported to be 67.7 per cent among coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory dysfunction. The high prevalence of persistent olfactory dysfunction prompts more serious research, as the long-standing consequences of olfactory dysfunction are detrimental.
Episodic basin-scale soil moisture anomalies associated with high relative humidity events in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Authors: Levy Joseph
Published: August 2021

Outside of hydrologically wetted active layer soils and humidity-sensitive soil brines, low soil moisture is a limiting factor controlling biogeochemical processes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. But anecdotal field observations suggest that episodic wetting and darkening of surface soils in the absence of snowmelt occurs during high humidity conditions. Here, I analyse long-term meteorological station data to determine whether soil-darkening episodes are present in the instrumental record and whether they are, in fact, correlated with relative humidity. A strong linear correlation is found between relative humidity and soil reflectance at the Lake Bonney long-term autonomous weather station. Soil reflectance is found to decrease annually by a median of 27.7% in response to high humidity conditions. This magnitude of darkening is consistent with soil moisture rising from typical background values of < 0.5 wt.% to 2–3 wt.%, suggesting that regional atmospheric processes may result in widespread soil moisture generation in otherwise dry surface soils. Temperature and relative humidity conditions under which darkening is observed occur for hundreds of hours per year, but are dominated by episodes occurring between midnight and 07h00 local time, suggesting that wetting events may be common, but are not widely observed during typical diel science operations.
Empires’ city-building and the 1792 intervention of Aupaumut's book
Authors: Eckstein Barbara
Published: August 2021

Following indigenous thought, this article urges readers to understand that the past lies before us, more knowable than our ideologies ordinarily allow. The article specifically asserts that if, for England, imperialism was the last model of city-building, in the United States it was the first. A pattern of ‘improvement’ financed by negative externalities established from first contact remains visible, especially in US metropolitan areas. The article's example is one site in Ohio. Indicative of virtually all US metropolitan areas, it has nonetheless a specific history that includes an occasion, recorded in negotiator Hendrick Aupaumut's 1792 narrative, when a break from the pattern was possible.
Palliative sedation in patients with advanced cancer in a specialized unit in a middle-income country: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: de Araujo Carolina Záu Serpa , de Araújo Laís Záu Serpa , Nassar Junior Antonio Paulo
Published: August 2021

Objective

To describe the 5-year practice on palliative sedation in a specialized palliative care unit in a deprived region in Brazil, and to compare survival of patients with advanced cancer who were and were not sedated during their end-of-life care.

Method

Retrospective cohort study in a tertiary teaching hospital. We described the practice of palliative sedation and compared the survival time between patients who were and were not sedated in their last days of life.

Results

We included 906 patients who were admitted to the palliative care unit during the study period, of whom, 92 (10.2%) received palliative sedation. Patients who were sedated were younger, presented with higher rates of delirium, and reported more pain, suffering, and dyspnea than those who were not sedated. Median hospital survival of patients who received palliative sedation was 9.30 (CI 95%, 7.51–11.81) days and of patients who were not sedated was 8.2 (CI 95%, 7.3–9.0) days (P= 0.31). Adjusted for age and sex, palliative sedation was not significantly associated with hospital survival (hazard ratio = 0.93; CI 95%, 0.74–1.15).

Significance of results

Palliative sedation can be accomplished even in a deprived area. Delirium, dyspnea, and pain were more common in patients who were sedated. Median survival was not reduced in patients who were sedated.
Index Suggests That Half of Nitrogen Applied to Crops Is Lost
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: August 2021

Nitrogen use efficiency, an indicator that describes how much fertilizer reaches a harvested crop, has decreased by 22% since 1961, according to new findings by an international group of researchers.
Serotonin depletion impairs both Pavlovian and instrumental reversal learning in healthy humans
Authors: Kanen Jonathan W. , Apergis-Schoute Annemieke M. , Yellowlees Robyn , Arntz Fréderique E. , van der Flier Febe E. , Price Annabel , Cardinal Rudolf N. , Christmas David M. , Clark Luke , Sahakian Barbara J. , Crockett Molly J. , Robbins Trevor W.
Published: August 2021

Serotonin is involved in updating responses to changing environmental circumstances. Optimising behaviour to maximise reward and minimise punishment may require shifting strategies upon encountering new situations. Likewise, autonomic responses to threats are critical for survival yet must be modified as danger shifts from one source to another. Whilst numerous psychiatric disorders are characterised by behavioural and autonomic inflexibility, few studies have examined the contribution of serotonin in humans. We modelled both processes, respectively, in two independent experiments (N = 97). Experiment 1 assessed instrumental (stimulus-response-outcome) reversal learning whereby individuals learned through trial and error which action was most optimal for obtaining reward or avoiding punishment initially, and the contingencies subsequently reversed serially. Experiment 2 examined Pavlovian (stimulus-outcome) reversal learning assessed by the skin conductance response: one innately threatening stimulus predicted receipt of an uncomfortable electric shock and another did not; these contingencies swapped in a reversal phase. Upon depleting the serotonin precursor tryptophan—in a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled design—healthy volunteers showed impairments in updating both actions and autonomic responses to reflect changing contingencies. Reversal deficits in each domain, furthermore, were correlated with the extent of tryptophan depletion. Initial Pavlovian conditioning, moreover, which involved innately threatening stimuli, was potentiated by depletion. These results translate findings in experimental animals to humans and have implications for the neurochemical basis of cognitive inflexibility.
Placental DNA methylation signatures of maternal smoking during pregnancy and potential impacts on fetal growth
Authors: Everson Todd M. , Vives-Usano Marta , Seyve Emie , Cardenas Andres , Lacasaña Marina , Craig Jeffrey M. , Lesseur Corina , Baker Emily R. , Fernandez-Jimenez Nora , Heude Barbara , Perron Patrice , Gónzalez-Alzaga Beatriz , Halliday Jane , Deyssenroth Maya A. , Karagas Margaret R. , Íñiguez Carmen , Bouchard Luigi , Carmona-Sáez Pedro , Loke Yuk J. , Hao Ke , Belmonte Thalia , Charles Marie A. , Martorell-Marugán Jordi , Muggli Evelyne , Chen Jia , Fernández Mariana F. , Tost Jorg , Gómez-Martín Antonio , London Stephanie J. , Sunyer Jordi , Marsit Carmen J. , Lepeule Johanna , Hivert Marie-France , Bustamante Mariona
Published: August 2021

Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) contributes to poor birth outcomes, in part through disrupted placental functions, which may be reflected in the placental epigenome. Here we present a meta-analysis of the associations between MSDP and placental DNA methylation (DNAm) and between DNAm and birth outcomes within the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) consortium (N = 1700, 344 with MSDP). We identify 443 CpGs that are associated with MSDP, of which 142 associated with birth outcomes, 40 associated with gene expression, and 13 CpGs are associated with all three. Only two CpGs have consistent associations from a prior meta-analysis of cord blood DNAm, demonstrating substantial tissue-specific responses to MSDP. The placental MSDP-associated CpGs are enriched for environmental response genes, growth-factor signaling, and inflammation, which play important roles in placental function. We demonstrate links between placental DNAm, MSDP and poor birth outcomes, which may better inform the mechanisms through which MSDP impacts placental function and fetal growth.