bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promise and challenges of dystonia brain banking: establishing a human tissue repository for studies of X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism
Authors: Fernandez-Cerado Cara , Legarda G. Paul , Velasco-Andrada M. Salvie , Aguil Abegail , Ganza-Bautista Niecy G. , Lagarde J. Benedict B. , Soria Jasmin , Jamora Roland Dominic G. , Acuña Patrick J. , Vanderburg Charles , Sapp Ellen , DiFiglia Marian , Murcar Micaela G. , Campion Lindsey , Ozelius Laurie J. , Alessi Amy K. , Singh-Bains Malvindar K. , Waldvogel Henry J. , Faull Richard L. M. , Macalintal-Canlas Regina , Muñoz Edwin L. , Penney Ellen B. , Ang Mark A. , Diesta Cid Czarina E. , Bragg D. Cristopher , Acuña-Sunshine Geraldine
Published: January 2021

X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism (XDP) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting individuals with ancestry to the island of Panay in the Philippines. In recent years there has been considerable progress at elucidating the genetic basis of XDP and candidate disease mechanisms in patient-derived cellular models, but the neural substrates that give rise to XDP in vivo are still poorly understood. Previous studies of limited XDP postmortem brain samples have reported a selective dropout of medium spiny neurons within the striatum, although neuroimaging of XDP patients has detected additional abnormalities in multiple brain regions beyond the basal ganglia. Given the need to fully define the CNS structures that are affected in this disease, we created a brain bank in Panay to serve as a tissue resource for detailed studies of XDP-related neuropathology. Here we describe this platform, from donor recruitment and consent to tissue collection, processing, and storage, that was assembled within a predominantly rural region of the Philippines with limited access to medical and laboratory facilities. Thirty-six brains from XDP individuals have been collected over an initial 4 years period. Tissue quality was assessed based on histologic staining of cortex, RNA integrity scores, detection of neuronal transcripts in situ by fluorescent hybridization chain reaction, and western blotting of neuronal and glial proteins. The results indicate that this pipeline preserves tissue integrity to an extent compatible with a range of morphologic, molecular, and biochemical analyses. Thus the algorithms that we developed for working in rural communities may serve as a guide for establishing similar brain banks for other rare diseases in indigenous populations.
Can the intermittent low-speed function of left ventricular assist device prevent aortic insufficiency?
Authors: Kohno Hiroki , Matsumiya Goro , Sawa Yoshiki , Fukushima Norihide , Saiki Yoshikatsu , Shiose Akira , Ono Minoru
Published: January 2021

Aortic insufficiency (AI) is known to associate with a persistently closed aortic valve during continuous-flow ventricular assist device support. Some devices carry an intermittent low-speed (ILS) function, which facilitates aortic valve opening, but whether this function prevents AI is unknown. In this study, the Jarvik 2000 device, which is programmed to reduce the pump speed each minute for 8 s, was chosen to examine this potential effect. Prospectively collected data of 85 heart transplant-eligible Jarvik 2000 recipients who met the study criteria (no pre-existing AI and aortic valve surgery) were retrospectively analyzed for the incidence, correlating factors, and clinical outcomes of de novo AI. All data were provided by the Japanese Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support. De novo AI occurred in 58 patients, 23 of whom developed at least moderate AI during a median support duration of 23.5 months. Freedom from moderate or greater AI was 84.4%, 66.1% and 60.2% at 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that progressive AI was correlated with decreased pulse pressure after implantation (hazard ratio 1.060, 95% confidence interval 1.001–1.127, p = 0.045). No correlation was found for mortality or other adverse events, including stroke, bleeding, infection, pump failure, hemolysis, and readmission. The benefit of the Jarvik 2000′s current ILS mode against AI appears to be minimal. However, in this limited cohort where all recipients underwent implantation as a bridge to transplantation, the impact of de novo progressive AI on other clinical adversities was also minimal.
Language-independent look-ahead for checking multi-perspective declarative process models
Authors: Käppel Martin , Ackermann Lars , Schönig Stefan , Jablonski Stefan
Published: January 2021

Declarative process modelling languages focus on describing a process by restrictions over the behaviour, which must be satisfied throughout the whole process execution. Hence, they are well suited for modelling knowledge-intensive processes with many decision points. However, such models can be hard to read and understand, which affect the modelling and maintenance of the process models tremendously as well as their execution. When executing such declarative (multi-perspective) process models, it may happen that the execution of activities or the change of data values may result in the non-executability of crucial activities. Hence, it would be beneficial to know all consequences of decisions to give recommendations to the process participants. A look-ahead attempts to predict the effects of executing an activity towards possible consequences within an a priori defined time window. The prediction is based on the current state of the process execution, the intended next event and the underlying process model. While execution engines for single-perspective imperative process models already implement such functionality, execution approaches, for multi-perspective declarative process models that involve constraints on data and resources, are less mature. In this paper, we introduce a simulation-based look-ahead approach for multi-perspective declarative process models. This approach transforms the problem of a context-aware process simulation into a SAT problem, by translating a declarative multi-perspective process model and the current state of a process execution into a specification of the logic language Alloy. Via a SAT solver, process trajectories are generated that either satisfy or violate this specification. The simulated process trajectories are used to derive consequences and effects of certain decisions at any time of process execution. We evaluate our approach by means of three examples and give some advice for further optimizations.
Improving Numerical Dispersion Modelling in Built Environments with Data Assimilation Using the Iterative Ensemble Kalman Smoother
Authors: Defforge Cécile L. , Carissimo Bertrand , Bocquet Marc , Bresson Raphaël , Armand Patrick
Published: January 2021

Air-pollution modelling at the local scale requires accurate meteorological inputs such as from the velocity field. These meteorological fields are generally simulated with microscale models (here Code_Saturne), which are forced with boundary conditions provided by larger scale models or observations. Local atmospheric simulations are very sensitive to the boundary conditions, whose accurate estimation is difficult but crucial. When observations of the wind speed and turbulence or pollutant concentration are available inside the domain, they provide supplementary information via data assimilation, to enhance the simulation accuracy by modifying the boundary conditions. Among the existing data assimilation methods, the iterative ensemble Kalman smoother (IEnKS) is adapted to urban-scale simulations. This method has already been found to increase the accuracy of wind-resource assessment. Here we assess the ability of the IEnKS method to improve scalar-dispersion modelling—an important component of air-quality modelling—by assimilating perturbed measurements inside the urban canopy. To test the data assimilation method in urban conditions, we use the observations provided by the Mock Urban Setting Test field campaign and consider cases with neutral and stable conditions, and the boundary conditions consisting of the horizontal velocity components and turbulence. We prove the capacity of the IEnKS method to assimilate observations of velocity as well as pollutant concentration. In both cases, the accuracy of pollutant concentration estimates is enhanced by 40–60%. We also show that assimilating both types of observations allows further improvements of turbulence predictions by the model.
The Role of Perspective Taking and Self-Control in a Preventive Intervention Targeting Childhood Disruptive Behavior
Authors: Nijhof Karlijn , te Brinke Lysanne W. , Njardvik Urdur , Liber Juliette M.
Published: January 2021

Prevention studies typically focus on outcome variables such as reductions in problem behavior, rather than targeted factors (e.g., cognitions), or the relation between change in targeted factors and outcomes. Therefore, the current study examined the effect of a targeted prevention program for childhood disruptive behavior on targeted factors (i.e., perspective taking and self-control) and associations between change in targeted factors and outcomes (i.e., aspects of disruptive behavior). The sample consisted of 173 children (Mage = 10.2 years) who were randomly assigned to an intervention condition (n = 70) or waitlist control condition (n = 103). Assessment took place at pre-, post- and follow-up measurements. For ethical considerations, follow-up data was not available for children on the waitlist. Findings revealed a direct intervention effect on self-control. From pre-test to follow-up, children who received the intervention improved in perspective taking and self-control. Moreover, improvements in self-control were associated with and predicted reductions in teacher-reported symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder. No associations were found between changes in perspective taking and disruptive behavior. These findings suggest that self-control may be an important target factor in reducing childhood disruptive behavior in targeted prevention.
In the Eye of the Beholder: How Self-Other Agreements Influence Leadership Training Outcomes as Perceived by Leaders and Their Followers
Authors: Nielsen Karina , Tafvelin Susanne , von Thiele Schwarz Ulrica , Hasson Henna
Published: January 2021

Based on Yammarino and Atwater’s self-other agreement typology of leaders, we explored whether leaders’ and followers’ agreement influenced their ratings of leadership behaviors after training where leaders received multi-source feedback to stimulate behavior change. We used a prospective study design including 68 leaders and 237 followers from a Swedish forest industry company. Leaders underwent training to increase their transformational leadership and contingent reward styles and reduce management-by-exception passive and laissez-faire leadership. We found that self-other agreement influences followers and leaders reporting changes in leadership styles. We also found that although some leader types were perceived to improve their leadership behaviors, leaders and followers reported differential patterns in which types of leaders improved the most. Our results have important implications for how feedback should be used to support training to achieve changes in leadership styles.
New Results on Superlinear Convergence of Classical Quasi-Newton Methods
Authors: Rodomanov Anton , Nesterov Yurii
Published: January 2021

We present a new theoretical analysis of local superlinear convergence of classical quasi-Newton methods from the convex Broyden class. As a result, we obtain a significant improvement in the currently known estimates of the convergence rates for these methods. In particular, we show that the corresponding rate of the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno method depends only on the product of the dimensionality of the problem and the logarithm of its condition number.
The Virasoro fusion kernel and Ruijsenaars’ hypergeometric function
Authors: Roussillon Julien
Published: January 2021

We show that the Virasoro fusion kernel is equal to Ruijsenaars’ hypergeometric function up to normalization. More precisely, we prove that the Virasoro fusion kernel is a joint eigenfunction of four difference operators. We find a renormalized version of this kernel for which the four difference operators are mapped to four versions of the quantum relativistic hyperbolic Calogero–Moser Hamiltonian tied with the root system $$BC_1$$

B

C
1

. We consequently prove that the renormalized Virasoro fusion kernel and the corresponding quantum eigenfunction, the (renormalized) Ruijsenaars hypergeometric function, are equal.
Closing the Osteoporosis Care Gap
Authors: Åkesson Kristina E. , McGuigan Fiona E. A.
Published: January 2021

Purpose of Review

This review outlines the scope of the problem in osteoporosis care and secondary fracture prevention and describes fracture prevention strategies, with a focus on the frail elderly.

Recent Findings

Despite heightened awareness among patients and clinicians alike and the availability of efficacious anti-osteoporosis medications, osteoporosis is still underdiagnosed and undertreated. However, the introduction of systematic risk assessment and secondary fracture prevention programmes has gained momentum, and evidence of success is accumulating.

We possess today the knowledge required to close the osteoporosis care gap. The basic components in a secondary prevention model are similar in all health care settings, number one being a dedicated fracture coordinator, with anti-osteoporosis medications and multifaceted falls prevention as cornerstones, particularly in the frailest, both in the near and long-term. Initiation of structured care pathways including the key elements – identification, investigation, intervention and follow-up of adherence – demonstrably reduces re-fracture rates and is cost-effective.
Model of Fungal Development in Stored Barley Ecosystems as a Prognostic Auxiliary Tool for Postharvest Preservation Systems
Authors: Wawrzyniak Jolanta
Published: January 2021

Postharvest preservation and storage have a crucial impact on the technological quality and safety of grain. The important threat to stored grain quality and nutritional safety of cereal products is mould development and their toxic metabolites, mycotoxins. Models based on predictive microbiology, which are able to estimate the kinetics of fungal growth, and thus, the risks of mycotoxin accumulation in a mass of grain are promising prognostic tools that can be applied in postharvest management systems. The study developed a modelling approach to describe total fungal growth in barley ecosystems stored at different temperatures (T = 12–30 °C) and water activity in grain (aw = 0.78–0.96). As the pattern of fungal growth curves was sigmoidal, the experimental data were modelled using the modified Gompertz equation, in which constant coefficients reflecting biological parameters of mould development (i.e. lag phase duration (τlag), maximum growth rate (μmax) and the maximum increase in fungal population level (Δmaxlog(CFU)) were expressed as functions of storage conditions, i.e. aw and T. The criteria used to evaluate the overall model performance indicated its good precision (R2 = 0.95; RMSE = 0.23) and high prediction accuracy (bias factor and accuracy factor Bf = 1.004, Af = 1.035). The formulated model is able to estimate the extension of fungal contamination in a bulk of grain versus time by monitoring temperature and intergranular relative humidity that are readily measurable in practice parameters; therefore, it may be used as a prognostic support tool in modern postharvest management systems.
Assessing Sediment Pulse during an Extreme Hydrological Event in the Alaknanda Basin, Northwestern Himalaya, India
Authors: Devrani Rahul , Singh Vimal , Mehta Manish , Ramanathan A. L.
Published: January 2021

In the year 2013, the Northwestern Himalaya witnessed an extreme hydrological event that severely affected the upper Ganga Basin. The unexpected high sediment mobilisation in the basin affected the human population, infrastructure, and ecology in several reaches of the Ganga river and its tributaries. In an exceedingly affected reach, the Kedarnath valley, a considerable sediment volume (~ 26243 x 104 m3) was mobilised during the 2013 extreme hydrological event. In the Srinagar valley, up to 50 x 104 m3 of legacy sediment was washed away during the same event. This sediment mobilisation generated sediment pulses in the affected region, which is assessed through remote sensing, field observations and existing literature, in the Kedarnath and Srinagar valleys. Results show that the evolution of translative, dispersive, and their combined sediment pulse pattern in both selected reaches of the upper Ganga Basin. The mountainous region of the upper Ganga basin has very few monitoring stations observing sediment movement, and data from such stations are mostly unavailable due to which our understanding of the sediment movement in the Himalaya remains very poor. Therefore, it is suggested that there is a need for detailed studies of the sediment transport mechanism in the Himalayan river basins especially during such extreme hydrological events when large volume of sediment is mobilised.
Stable Isotopes and Major Ions in Deciphering the Hydrochemical Environment in the Tertiary Aquifer System of Kuttanad Area, Kerala
Authors: Kunhambu V. , Vinayachandran N. , Sureshbabu D.S.
Published: January 2021

Kuttanad area is part of the western coastal plains in Kerala characterized by a thick pile of Tertiary sediments underlying the Recent alluvium. The evolution of aquifer systems in these sediments are closely related to the geological history of the area and the groundwater in the Tertiary aquifer system was evolved during various marine transgressions and regressions. Chemical processes such as leaching of salts, cation exchange and chemical reactions under strong reducing environment modified the hydrochemistry of these aquifers. The salinization and freshening processes in the tertiary aquifer system elucidated from hydrogeological, hydro-chemical and stable isotope (2H and 18O) studies are documented in this paper. The hydrochemical and isotope studies corroborate with the observations in the earlier study on the flow regime in the coastal aquifers under SIDA assisted coastal hydrology project (CGWB, 1992).
Correction to: CO2 and SO2 emission characteristics of the whole process industry chain of coal processing and utilization in China
Authors: Zhu Tao , Wang Ruonan , Yi Nengjing , Niu Wenfeng , Wang Lifeng , Xue Zeyu
Published: January 2021

In the original publication, there were few amendments to be made.
Dynamic behavior assessment of public buildings in Syria using non-linear time-history analysis and ambient noise measurements: a case study
Authors: Al-Helwani Amjad , Abdul-wahed Mohamad Khir , Alfach Mohanad Talal
Published: January 2021

This study evaluates the dynamic behavior and performance of vital reinforced concrete (RC) public building [Ministry of Higher Education (MHE)] designed in compliance with the old Syrian (non-seismic) building code. The real non-linear dynamic behavior of the MHE building has been checked by detailed dynamic numerical analyses (finite elements method—FEM) validated by a series of ambient noise measurements carried out on-site. The modeling approach for the thorough 3D dynamic analyses of the (RC) MHE building has been developed to be able to investigate the actual non-linear dynamic performance of widespread range of RC structures, providing the opportunity to set up a reliable detailed methodology to assess the real dynamic performance of the old vital structures designed according to the old Syrian (non-seismic) building code from the new seismic requirements perspective. The results of the frequency analyses, the nonlinear time history, and the experimental measurements have shown an excellent agreement. The study showed that the modeling approach by the FEM is reliable for predicting the actual dynamic behavior of RC structures, but it is very sensitive to the modeling assumptions. Furthermore, the dynamic performance analyses have revealed unsymmetrical behavior of the east–west wings about the Y-axis which could be attributed to the inefficient seismic rehabilitation executed in 2001.
Mathematik inklusiv unterrichten – Ein Forschungsüberblick zum aktuellen Stand der Entwicklung einer inklusiven Didaktik für den Mathematikunterricht in der Grundschule
Authors: Jütte Hannah , Lüken Miriam M.
Published: January 2021

Der Mathematikunterricht der Grundschule hat sich in den letzten Jahren im Hinblick auf die Realisierung einer inklusiven Didaktik weiterentwickelt. Es herrscht Konsens, dass alle Kinder mit- und voneinander lernen, jedoch auch individuell gefördert werden sollen. Forschungsergebnisse zeigen neutrale bis positive Effekte inklusiven Unterrichts auf das kindliche Mathematiklernen. Aktuelle Studien weisen jedoch darauf hin, dass für Lehrkräfte die Realisierung gemeinsamer Lernsituationen aufgrund fachlicher Besonderheiten nach wie vor herausfordernd ist. Trotz einiger konkretisierter mathematikdidaktischer Konzepte, die im Beitrag vorgestellt werden, besteht daher weiterer Forschungs- und Entwicklungsbedarf zur Gestaltung inklusiven Mathematikunterrichts auf inhaltlicher Ebene.
Fostering Well-Being over the Radio? An Empirical Study Investigating the Effects of an Audio Podcast-Based Intervention Program on Student Teachers’ Well-Being
Authors: Dreer Benjamin
Published: January 2021

Student teachers’ abilities to positively influence their own well-being are an important resource not only for their academic success at university but also for their future impact as educators in schools. Thus, universities should assume responsibility for educating student teachers on how to reflect on and influence their personal well-being. In this paper, an empirical study is presented that investigates the effects of an audio podcast-based intervention on student teachers’ well-being. The online course was developed with the aim of fostering both the general and job-related well-being of student teachers during a 15-week pedagogical field experience. The course comprises a series of nine narrated audio podcast episodes and administers three positive psychological interventions: gratitude, kindness, and savouring. To investigate the effectiveness of the course, a quasi-experimental design was used. Life satisfaction, happiness, teacher engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion were measured using online questionnaires at four intervals over a 15-week period. The sample consisted of 117 German student teachers, of which 82 participated in the intervention and 35 in the control condition. Results suggest small but statistically significant gains in mean life satisfaction and happiness scores of the participants in the intervention group. Furthermore, significant gains in emotional exhaustion in the control group were not present in the intervention condition, suggesting that the course provides a buffer to emotional exhaustion. Against the expectations, indicators of job-related well-being (i.e. teacher engagement, job satisfaction) did not significantly change over time in either group. The relevance and limitations of these findings are discussed.
Numerical investigation of the fiber/matrix inter-phase damage of a PPS composite considering temperature and cooling liquid ageing
Authors: Bourgogne Quentin C. P. , Bouchart Vanessa , Chevrier Pierre , Dattoli Emmanuel
Published: January 2021

This paper presents a numerical study of fiber/matrix inter-phase damage of a PolyPhenylene Sulfide with 40%wt of short glass fibers (PPS GF40). Homogenization methods are used to estimate the macroscopic mechanical behavior of composites like glass fiber reinforced PPS. Starting from the study of the mechanical behavior of the PPS matrix, an analytical homogenization was performed. Comparison with composite’s experimental curves showed a good prediction of the elastic behavior. However, differences between experimental and predicted plastic behaviors were highlighted. Finite element analyses considering inter-phase damage were done at different temperatures and for several fiber orientations so to explain differences arising between analytical approach and experimental results. This work allowed a study of the evolution of the impact of this damage on mechanical properties as a function of temperature and fiber orientation. Finally, this work showed the development of a weakening of the fiber/matrix interface for a liquid aged composite and to quantify the decrease of the interface properties.
Folding photopolymerized origami sheets by post-curing
Authors: He Xiaodong , Matte Christopher-Denny , Kwok Tsz-Ho
Published: January 2021

The paper presents a novel manufacturing approach to fabricate origami based on 3D printing utilizing digital light processing. Specifically, we propose to leave part of the model uncured during the printing step, and then cure it in the post-processing step to set the shape in a folded configuration. While the cured regions in the first step try to regain their unfolded shape, the regions cured in the second step attempt to keep their folded shape. As a result, the final shape is obtained when both regions’ stresses reach equilibrium. Finite element analysis is performed in ANSYS to obtain the stress distribution on common hinge designs, demonstrating that the square-hinge has a lower maximum principal stress than elliptical and triangle hinges. Based on the square-hinge and rectangular cavity, two variables—the hinge width and the cavity height—are selected as principal variables to construct an empirical model with the final folding angle. In the end, experimental verification shows that the developed method is valid and reliable to realize the proposed deformation and 3D development of 2D hinges.
Geochemical conditions of natural wetland and paddy fields in the Poyang Lake area, China
Authors: Soldatova Evgeniya , Dong Yihui , Li Jiale , Ivanova Irina , Toropov Andrey , Gromyak Irina , Dogadkin Denis , Sun Zhanxue
Published: January 2021

During the last several decades, wetlands are losing their ecological functions due to increasing anthropogenic loads. One of these functions is the ability to bind elements forming geochemical barriers. The research aimed to study the geochemical conditions of natural wetlands and flooded paddy fields (artificial wetlands) in the Ganjiang River basin to trace geochemical barriers. The research approach was based on a comprehensive analysis of water and aqueous extracts from bottom sediments and paddy soils, including chemical and mineral composition. The samples were collected in November 2019, during the dry season at the end of harvesting. Chemical analysis was performed using standard methods for natural substances: titrimetry, photometry, ionic chromatography, high-temperature oxidation, ICP-MS, and ICP-AES. The mineral composition of the soils and sediments was determined by XRD. It was found that the main physicochemical characteristics (TDS, pH, main component concentrations) of the natural wetland water correspond to the surface water of the study area, whereas the irrigation water is similar to shallow groundwater. The content of trace elements in the irrigation water is higher than in the natural wetland water. Generally, the trace element composition of the natural wetland water corresponds to the geochemical background of the study area. Analysis of the mineral and chemical composition of the paddy soils and sediments indicates the geochemical barriers that accumulate a wide range of elements. In the natural wetland, the geochemical barrier is likely associated with a decrease in oxygen content and advective transport rate in the sediments, whereas in the paddy fields, the precipitation of clay minerals in the soil profile forms the geochemical barrier related to a decrease in filtration properties and advection–diffusion transport.

Graphic abstract
Numerical investigation of volute tongue design on hemodynamic characteristics and hemolysis of the centrifugal blood pump
Authors: Aka Ibrahim Basar , Ozturk Caglar , Lazoglu Ismail
Published: January 2021

In the design of rotary blood pumps, the optimization of design parameters plays an essential role in enhancing the hydrodynamic performance and hemocompatibility. This study investigates the influence of the volute tongue angle as a volute geometric parameter on the hemodynamic characteristics of a blood pump. A numerical investigation on five different versions of volute designs is carried out by utilizing a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software ANSYS-FLUENT. The effect of volute tongue angle is evaluated regarding the hydrodynamic performance, circumferential pressure distribution, the radial force, and the blood damage potential. A series of volute configurations are constructed with a fixed radial gap (5%), but varying tongue angles ranging from 10 to 50°. The relative hemolysis is assessed with the Eulerian based empirical power-law blood damage model. The pressure-flow rate characteristics of the volute designs at a range of rotational speeds are obtained from the experimental measurements by using the blood analog fluid. The results indicate an inverse relationship between hydraulic performance and the tongue angle; at higher tongue angles, a decrease in performance was observed. However, a higher tongue angle improves the net radial force acting on the impeller. The pump achieves the optimized performance at 20° of the tongue angle with the relatively high hydrodynamic performance and minor blood damage risk.
An Empirical Analysis of Location-Based Mobile Advertising—Determinants, Success Factors, and Moderating Effects
Authors: Kurtz Oliver T. , Wirtz Bernd W. , Langer Paul F.
Published: January 2021

The emergence of Location-Based Mobile Advertising (LBA) on mobile phones is a recent phenomenon that has profoundly changed consumers’ shopping behavior. In this context, little is known about the influence of LBA on the purchasing intention of users. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and the Privacy Calculus Theory (PCT), this study develops an impact model and empirically tests it using structural equation modeling (SEM) with data from 294 users in Germany of the PAYBACK mobile app. It was found that purchase intentions are influenced by the constructs “User Attitude towards LBA” and “Disclosure of Personal Information.” “User Attitude towards LBA” is dependent on how users perceive the various app functionalities. These effects are significantly enhanced by the app's “Location Context Quality.” The construct “Intention to disclose personal information” depends on the constructs “Perceived benefit” and “Perceived risks of disclosure of personal information,” while “Perceived benefit” is also enhanced by the “Location Context Quality” of the app.
The metal seals connection: expanding Saint-Gobain Seals' portfolio of products targeted at critical applications
Authors: Atkinson Simon
Published: January 2021

At the beginning of 2020, Saint-Gobain Seals acquired High Tech Metal Seals. In tandem with the earlier acquisition of American Seal & Engineering Co in 2019, purchasing the Belgian designer and manufacturer of elastic or resilient metal seals further extended the range of products that the company is capable of supplying for use in critical applications involving extreme temperatures and pressure. It has also accelerated its growth, and reinforced its presence as a supplier of metal seals in the space and nuclear industries. This technology focus provides a brief look at how these acquisitions are shaping Saint-Gobain Seals and extending its portfolio of products by enabling it to offer seals based both on polymers and various metals.
Aboriginal Writers and Popular Fiction
Authors: Morgan Fiannuala
Published: January 2021

Wiradjuri woman, Anita Heiss, is arguably one of the first Aboriginal Australian authors of popular fiction. A focus on the political characterises her chick lit; and her identity as an author is both supplemented and complemented by her roles as an academic, activist and public intellectual. Heiss has discussed genre as a means of targeting audiences that may be less engaged with Indigenous affairs, and positions her novels as educative but not didactic. Her readership is constituted by committed readers of romance and chick lit as well as politically engaged readers that are attracted to Heiss' dual authorial persona; and, both groups bring radically distinct expectations to bear on these texts. Through analysis of online reviews and surveys conducted with users of the book reviewing website Goodreads, I complicate the understanding of genre as a cogent interpretative frame, and deploy this discussion to explore the social significance of Heiss' literature.
Disentangling ecological and taphonomic signals in ancient food webs
Authors: Shaw Jack O. , Coco Emily , Wootton Kate , Daems Dries , Gillreath-Brown Andrew , Swain Anshuman , Dunne Jennifer A.
Published: January 2021

Analyses of ancient food webs reveal important paleoecological processes and responses to a range of perturbations throughout Earth's history, such as climate change. These responses can inform our forecasts of future biotic responses to similar perturbations. However, previous analyses of ancient food webs rarely accounted for key differences between modern and ancient community data, particularly selective loss of soft-bodied taxa during fossilization. To consider how fossilization impacts inferences of ancient community structure, we (1) analyzed node-level attributes to identify correlations between ecological roles and fossilization potential and (2) applied selective information loss procedures to food web data for extant systems. We found that selective loss of soft-bodied organisms has predictable effects on the trophic structure of “artificially fossilized” food webs because these organisms occupy unique, consistent food web positions. Fossilized food webs misleadingly appear less stable (i.e., more prone to trophic cascades), with less predation and an overrepresentation of generalist consumers. We also found that ecological differences between soft- and hard-bodied taxa—indicated by distinct positions in modern food webs—are recorded in an early Eocene web, but not in Cambrian webs. This suggests that ecological differences between the groups have existed for ≥48 Myr. Our results indicate that accounting for soft-bodied taxa is vital for accurate depictions of ancient food webs. However, the consistency of information loss trends across the analyzed food webs means it is possible to predict how the selective loss of soft-bodied taxa affects food web metrics, which can permit better modeling of ancient communities.
Twitter Followers of Canadian Political and Health Authorities during the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Are Their Activity and Interests?
Authors: Haman Michael
Published: January 2021

I examined the use of Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic to find out how many Twitter users started to follow relevant Canadian political and health authorities, and I investigated their activity and interests. To this end, I analyzed 398,037 Twitter accounts. The results reveal that the Twitter accounts of relevant authorities gained a significant number of new Twitter followers during the pandemic. The Twitter users who joined during the pandemic were rather passive; they tweeted and liked fewer tweets than Twitter users who registered in the months prior to the pandemic. They also chose to follow Twitter accounts predominantly related to news, politics and governmental agencies. These findings suggest that during the pandemic, numerous information-seeking citizens joined Twitter for the purpose of obtaining information about public health matters, which in turn suggests that authorities should incorporate Twitter into their information dissemination tools, especially during emergencies, to meet the public demand for information.
Age-Related Effects on Interoceptive Accuracy, General Interoceptive	Sensibility, and Specific Interoceptive Sensibility
Authors: Nusser L. , Pollatos O. , Zimprich D.
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Background: The current research into interoception distinguishes between interoceptive accuracy (IAcc), the accurate detection of internal sensations (e.g., heartbeats) as measured by performance on objective IAcc tasks, and interoceptive sensibility (IS), the subjective belief concerning one’s own experience of internal sensations as measured either through self-report questionnaires or through one’s confidence in the accuracy during an IAcc task. Aims: As the two measures of IS, however, are usually uncorrelated and show differential relationships to IAcc, we suggest different types of IS, a general IS and a specific IS. Further, based on a growing body of research linking IAcc and IS to physical and mental diseases, the development of interoception across the adult lifespan is of importance. Methods: Using Structural Equation Modeling the present paper investigates the relationships among IAcc assessed by a heartbeat counting task, and the two proposed dimensions of IS in 138 participants ( Mage = 42.67, SDage = 18.77). Furthermore, we examine age-related differences in IAcc, as well as in general and specific IS. Results: In terms of the relationship between the three dimensions, general and specific IS were weakly correlated and exhibited different relationships to IAcc. Further, we found different age effects on the three interoceptive dimensions. Whereas IAcc decreased with age, specific IS tend to increase with age, and general IS remained unaffected by age. Conclusion: The findings provide further empirical support for a dissociation between general and specific IS and raised important questions concerning the relation between interoceptive accuracy and the emergence of physical diseases in older age.
Continuous monitoring of neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio for estimating the onset, severity, and subsequent prognosis of immune related adverse events
Authors: Matsukane Ryosuke , Watanabe Hiroyuki , Minami Haruna , Hata Kojiro , Suetsugu Kimitaka , Tsuji Toshikazu , Masuda Satohiro , Okamoto Isamu , Nakagawa Takashi , Ito Takamichi , Eto Masatoshi , Mori Masaki , Nakanishi Yoichi , Egashira Nobuaki
Published: January 2021

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) play a central role in various cancers. ICIs can cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs). As severe irAEs can be life-threatening, biomarkers for estimating irAE onset are crucial. The neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio (NLR) reflects the systemic immune condition and known as a prognostic marker in ICI treatment. Our study evaluated if the NLR corresponded with irAEs, and its feasibility as a biomarker for irAE onset. We retrospectively analyzed 275 cancer patients treated with anti-PD-1 monotherapy. We observed 166 irAEs in 121 patients. The NLR was significantly elevated during irAEs. Patients experiencing interstitial pneumonitis showed NLR elevation 4 weeks before initial symptoms and diagnosis. Analyzing receiver operating characteristics curves revealed that elevated NLR distinguished subsequent pneumonitis severity with high accuracy (AUC 0.93, sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 88.2%, cut-off 2.37, p = 0.0004). After a severe irAE occurred, two NLR trends were observed. Patients who showed a prompt reduction in elevated NLRs had favorable progression-free survival (hazard ratio 0.32, 95% CI 0.10–1.01, p = 0.0140) and overall survival (hazard ratio 0.23, 95% CI 0.06–0.86, p = 0.0057) compared to the patients who maintained elevated NLRs. These findings suggest that continuous monitoring of NLR trends may predict irAE onset and severity and subsequent prognosis.
Role of prenatal imaging in the diagnosis and management of fetal facio-cervical masses
Authors: Zheng Weizeng , Gai Shuangshuang , Qin Jiale , Qiu Fei , Li Baohua , Zou Yu
Published: January 2021

Congenital facio-cervical masses can be a developmental anomaly of cystic, solid, or vascular origin, and have an inseparable relationship with adverse prognosis. This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed at determining on the prenatal diagnosis of congenital facio-cervical masses, its management and outcome in a large tertiary referral center. We collected information on prenatal clinical data, pregnancy outcomes, survival information, and final diagnosis. Out of 130 cases of facio-cervical masses, a total of 119 cases of lymphatic malformations (LMs), 2 cases of teratoma, 2 cases of thyroglossal duct cyst, 4 cases of hemangioma, 1 case of congenital epulis, and 2 cases of dermoid cyst were reviewed. The accuracy of prenatal ultrasound was 93.85% (122/130). Observations of diameters using prenatal ultrasound revealed that the bigger the initial diameter is, the bigger the relative change during pregnancy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed that 2 cases of masses were associated with airway compression. In conclusion, ultrasound has a high overall diagnostic accuracy of fetal face and neck deformities. Prenatal US can enhance the management of ambulatory monitoring and classification. Furthermore, MRI provided a detailed assessment of fetal congenital malformations, as well as visualization of the trachea, presenting a multi-dimensional anatomical relationship.
A prognostic score for patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure treated with plasma exchange-centered artificial liver support system
Authors: Du Lingyao , Ma Yuanji , Zhou Shaoqun , Chen Fang , Xu Yan , Wang Ming , Lei Xuezhong , Feng Ping , Tang Hong , Bai Lang
Published: January 2021

Artificial liver support system (ALSS) therapy is widely used in patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). We aimed to develop a predictive score to identify the subgroups who may benefit from plasma exchange (PE)-centered ALSS therapy. A total of 601 patients were retrospectively enrolled and randomly divided into a derivation cohort of 303 patients and a validation cohort of 298 patients for logistic regression analysis, respectively. Five baseline variables, including liver cirrhosis, total bilirubin, international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, infection and hepatic encephalopathy, were found independently associated with 3-month mortality. A predictive PALS model and the simplified PALS score were developed. The predicative value of PALS score (AUROC = 0.818) to 3-month prognosis was as capable as PALS model (AUROC = 0.839), R score (AUROC = 0.824) and Yue-Meng’ score (AUROC = 0.810) (all p > 0.05), and superior to CART model (AUROC = 0.760) and MELD score (AUROC = 0.765) (all p < 0.05). The PALS score had significant linear correlation with 3-month mortality (R2 = 0.970, p = 0.000). PALS score of 0–2 had both sensitivity and negative predictive value of > 90% for 3-month mortality, while PALS score of 6–9 had both specificity and positive predictive value of > 90%. Patients with PALS score of 3–5 who received 3–5 sessions of ALSS therapy had much lower 3-month mortality than those who received 1–2 sessions (32.8% vs. 59.2%, p < 0.05). The more severe patients with PALS score of 6–9 could still benefit from ≥ 6 sessions of ALSS therapy compared to ≤ 2 sessions (63.6% vs. 97.0%, p < 0.05). The PALS score could predict prognosis reliably and conveniently. It could identify the subgroups who could benefit from PE-centered ALSS therapy, and suggest the reasonable sessions.

Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000032055. Registered 19th April 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=52471.
Trend analysis and forecast of daily reported incidence of hand, foot and mouth disease in Hubei, China by Prophet model
Authors: Xie Cong , Wen Haoyu , Yang Wenwen , Cai Jing , Zhang Peng , Wu Ran , Li Mingyan , Huang Shuqiong
Published: January 2021

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is common among children below 5 years. HFMD has a high incidence in Hubei Province, China. In this study, the Prophet model was used to forecast the incidence of HFMD in comparison with the autoregressive-integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, and HFMD incidence was decomposed into trends, yearly, weekly seasonality and holiday effect. The Prophet model fitted better than the ARIMA model in daily reported incidence of HFMD. The HFMD incidence forecast by the Prophet model showed that two peaks occurred in 2019, with the higher peak in May and the lower peak in December. Periodically changing patterns of HFMD incidence were observed after decomposing the time-series into its major components. In specific, multi-year variability of HFMD incidence was found, and the slow-down increasing point of HFMD incidence was identified. Relatively high HFMD incidences appeared in May and on Mondays. The effect of Spring Festival on HFMD incidence was much stronger than that of other holidays. This study showed the potential of the Prophet model to detect seasonality in HFMD incidence. Our next goal is to incorporate climate variables into the Prophet model to produce an accurate forecast of HFMD incidence.
Concerning the selection of crystallization modifiers for non-hydrogen bonded systems: the case of benzophenone
Authors: Black Simon N. , Hutchinson Adrian , Davey Roger J.
Published: January 2021

A design strategy for the selection of crystal growth modifiers for non-polar crystals is proposed and its application demonstrated for the case of benzophenone.
Fast colloidal synthesis of SnSe2nanosheets for flexible broad-band photodetection
Authors: Chen Guihuan , Zhang Jinhui , Wang Hongrui , Yuan Hua , Sui Xin , Zhou Hao , Zhong Degao
Published: January 2021

A new rapid bottom-up colloidal synthetic route has been developed to synthesize SnSe2nanosheets within 5 min. A SnSe2nanosheet-based flexible photodetector is fabricated for the first time and the resulting device displays a wide photodetection range and high flexibility.
Electric field-driven conformational changes in the elastin protein
Authors: De Debajyoti , Pawar Nisha , Gupta Amar Nath
Published: January 2021

Electric field masked the aggregation in elastin.
Dynamic heterogeneity flow promotes binding reactions in a dense system of hard annular sector particles
Authors: Duan Yana , Hou Zhanglin , Zong Yiwu , Ye Fangfu , Zhao Kun
Published: January 2021

Dynamic heterogeneity is observed in a dense ASP system and is demonstrated to be spatially correlated with binding reactions.
Janus 2D titanium nitride halide TiNX0.5Y0.5 (X, Y = F, Cl, or Br, and X ≠ Y) monolayers with giant out-of-plane piezoelectricity and high carrier mobility
Authors: Shi Xiaobo , Yin Huabing , Jiang Shujuan , Chen Weizhen , Zheng Guang-Ping , Ren Fengzhu , Wang Bing , Zhao Gaofeng , Liu Bo
Published: January 2021

We have proposed a series of Janus 2D titanium nitride halide TiNX0.5Y0.5 (X, Y = F, Cl, or Br, and X ≠ Y) monolayers, which have considerable out-of-plane piezoelectricity and high carrier mobility.
Selective regulation of n-dodecane isomerization and cracking performance in Pt/beta catalysts via orientation control of Brønsted acid site distribution
Authors: Chen Zhiqiang , Liu Suyao , Zhang Huaike , He Peng , Ren Jie , Wen Xiaodong , Li Yong-Wang
Published: January 2021

The isomerization and cracking performance of n-dodecane have been successfully regulated by the orientation control of Brønsted acid site distribution in Beta zeolites.
Compositional analysis of organosolv poplar lignin by using high-performance liquid chromatography/high-resolution multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Zhang Jifa , Jiang Yuan , Easterling Leah F. , Anstner Anton , Li Wanru , Alzarieni Kawthar Z. , Dong Xueming , Bozell Joseph , Kenttämaa Hilkka I.
Published: January 2021

High-resolution mass spectrum measured for the organosolv poplar sample by using (−)ESI. The approximate distributions of lignin-related monomeric, dimeric, trimeric, and tetrameric as well as bigger compounds are shown.
Excellent energy storage properties and stability of NaNbO3–Bi(Mg0.5Ta0.5)O3 ceramics by introducing (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.7Sr0.3TiO3
Authors: Chen Hongyun , Shi Junpeng , Chen Xiuli , Sun Congcong , Pang Feihong , Dong Xiaoyan , Zhang Hailin , Zhou Huanfu
Published: January 2021

NaNbO3-based (NN) energy storage ceramics exhibit high breakdown electric field strength (Eb) with large recoverable energy storage density (Wrec).