bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multicenter evaluation of MRI‐based radiomic features: A phantom study
Authors: Rai Robba , Holloway Lois C. , Brink Carsten , Field Matthew , Christiansen Rasmus L. , Sun Yu , Barton Michael B. , Liney Gary P.
Published: April 2020

Introduction

This work describes the development of a novel radiomics phantom designed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that can be used in a multicenter setting. The purpose of this study is to assess the stability and reproducibility of MRI‐based radiomic features using this phantom across different MRI scanners.

Methods & materials

A set of phantoms were three‐dimensional (3D) printed using MRI visible materials. One set of phantoms were imaged on seven MRI scanners and one was imaged on one MRI scanner. Radiomics analysis of the phantoms, which included first‐order features, shape and texture features was performed. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the stability of radiomic features across eight scanners and the reproducibility of two printed models on one scanner. Coefficient of variation (COV) was used to assess the reproducibility of radiomics measurements in the phantom on a single scanner.

Results

The phantom models provide sufficient signal‐to‐noise and contrast in all the tumor models permitting robust automatic segmentation. During a 12‐month period of monitoring, the phantom material was stable with T1 and T2 of 150.7 ± 6.7 ms and 56.1 ± 3.9 ms, respectively. Of all the radiomic features computed, 34 of 69 had COV < 10%. Features from first‐order statistics were the most robust in stability across the eight scanners with eight of 12 (67%) having high stability. About 29 of 50 (58%) texture features had high stability and no shape features had high stability features across the eight scanners.

Conclusion

A novel MRI radiomics phantom has been developed to assess the reproducibility and stability of MRI‐based radiomic features across multiple institutions. The variation in radiomic feature stability demonstrates the need for caution when interpreting these features for clinical studies.
A patient‐centered medical home model for comprehensive sickle cell care in infants and young children
Authors: Barriteau Christina M. , Murdoch Alexandra , Gallagher Shannon J. , Thompson Alexis A.
Published: April 2020

Background

The patient‐centered medical home (PCMH) has been proposed as a model for comprehensive care coordination and delivery for children with sickle cell disease (SCD), yet little is known regarding the implementation of PCMH core concepts on adherence to preventative care measures, health care utilization, and parent satisfaction.

Procedure

We implemented the newborn cohort clinic (NCC) to explore the application of the PCMH model for infants and children with SCD from birth to age 3 years in 2011. In July 2017, we conducted a retrospective chart review to evaluate subjects currently or previously followed in the clinic. We surveyed parents in the NCC to assess their satisfaction with their experience.

Results

A total of 112 patients have been managed in the NCC. All patients received penicillin prophylaxis, while 70% and 73% of patients, respectively, received the 23‐valent pneumococcal vaccine and an initial transcranial Doppler by age 36 months. Most (92 of 112) of the subjects utilized the emergency department (569 encounters), with 86% of encounters for fever or other sickle cell–related complications. The majority of parents indicated satisfaction with the clinic, with 71% saying clinic providers always or usually spent enough time with their child, listened carefully to them (81%) and were sensitive to family values and customs (77%).

Conclusions

A comprehensive sickle cell clinic as a component of a PCMH is feasible and can achieve high levels of preventative care. Parents are largely satisfied with this model of care.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia clonal distribution between bone marrow and peripheral blood
Authors: Fries Carol , Adlowitz Diana G. , Spence Janice M. , Spence John P. , Rock Philip J. , Burack W. Richard
Published: April 2020

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is often composed of numerous subclones. Here we test whether the clonal composition of the blood is representative of the bone marrow at leukemia onset. Using ultra‐deep IGH sequencing, we detected 28 clones across 16 patients; 5/28 were only in the marrow. In four patients, the most abundant clones differed between sites, including three in which the dominant medullary clones were minimally detectable in the blood. These findings demonstrate that the peripheral blood often underrepresents the genetic heterogeneity in a B‐ALL and highlight the potential impact of tissue site selection on the detection of minor subclones.
Fathers' psychological responses to pediatric cancer–induced financial distress
Authors: Santacroce Sheila Judge , Killela Mary K. , Kerr Gavin , Leckey Jill A. , Kneipp Shawn M.
Published: April 2020

Background

To describe how pediatric cancer–induced financial distress and perceptions of their social role affected fathers’ psychological responses to this distress, and quality of life (QOL) for them and their families.

Procedure

We analyzed father‐only responses from a larger cross‐sectional survey study about the impact of pediatric cancer–induced financial distress on parents. Our analytic sample was n = 87 fathers who participated in the larger study. We analyzed their data using descriptive statistics and directed content analysis.

Results

Conflicting role responsibilities (be there for child; work to maintain income and insurance coverage) seemed to generate responses resembling characteristic posttraumatic stress symptoms in reaction to acute declines in family finances and/or the chronic stress of insufficient finances to meet financial demands, that is, financial trauma. Fathers’ personal sense of not being able to adequately provide for their child with cancer and also meet their family's basic needs produced embarrassment and humiliation, which led to discomfort talking about finances; fear, persistent thoughts and anxiety about money; reduced joy; beliefs that they did not deserve to express their needs; and feeling vulnerable to repeated financial stressors.

Conclusions

Pediatric cancer–induced financial burden contributed to fathers’ symptom severity and burden, and QOL declines. Clinicians should develop sensitivity to the multiple ways that pediatric cancer affects individuals and families. Future research should examine the effects of pediatric cancer–induced financial burden on mothers, and develop ways to sensitively and systematically assess financial burden, associated psychological responses and declines in QOL, and intervene as indicated.
Multicystic and diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in children
Authors: Vermersch Sophie , Arnaud Alexis , Orbach Daniel , Andre Nicolas , Berger Claire , Kepenekian Vahan , Brigand Cécile , Fresneau Brice , Poli‐Merol Marie‐Laurence , Habougit Cyril , Varlet François , Scalabre Aurélien
Published: April 2020

Background

Malignant and multicystic peritoneal mesotheliomas are extremely rare tumors in children, developing from mesothelial cells. No specific guidelines are available at this age.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of all identified children (< 18‐year‐old) treated in France from 1987 to 2017 for a diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (DMPM) or a multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (MCPM).

Results

Fourteen patients (5 males and nine females), aged 2.2 to 17.5 years, were included. The most frequent presenting symptoms were abdominal pain, ascitis, and alteration in the general condition. Eight patients had epithelioid mesothelioma, three had biphasic mesothelioma, and three had MCPM. Eight patients with DMPM diagnosis received cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Among them, six patients had neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy, one patient, post‐operative chemotherapy, and one patient CRS and HIPEC only. Three patients received only systemic chemotherapy. All patients with MCPM had only surgery. After a median follow‐up of seven years (2‐15), six patients (6/11; one death) with DMPM and two patients (two/three) with MCPM had a local and distant recurrences.

Conclusion

Peritoneal mesothelioma in children is a rare condition with difficult diagnosis and high risk of recurrence. Worldwide interdisciplinary collaboration and networking are mandatory to help diagnosis and provide harmonious treatment guidelines.
Neonatal management of prenatally suspected coarctation of the aorta
Authors: Hede Sannya V. , DeVore Greggory , Satou Gary , Sklansky Mark
Published: April 2020

Objectives

(a) To determine the false‐positive rate among newborns with prenatally suspected coarctation of the aorta (CoA) within the UCLA Health system, (b) to compare patient and maternal interventions and outcomes between false‐positive cases and normal controls, and (c) to determine the timing of clinical presentation of CoA.

Methods

We performed a single‐center, retrospective case control study of all fetuses with suspected isolated CoA who underwent both fetal echocardiographic evaluation and subsequent delivery at UCLA between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2018. Maternal and neonatal medical records were reviewed for demographic and clinical data, for cases of suspected CoA and for controls. A separate review of our institution's surgical database was performed to identify characteristics of all patients (neonatal and pediatric) with isolated CoA who underwent surgical repair during the same time period.

Results

Among the 50 fetal cases of isolated suspected CoA who delivered at our institution, 47 patients (94%) were found to be normal (false positives). Compared with normal controls, patients with suspected CoA were more likely to have delayed maternal bonding, delayed feeding, admission to the intensive care unit, performance of neonatal echocardiograms, initiation of intravenous fluids and initiation of prostaglandin E1, and a longer length of hospital stay. Among the 38 patients undergoing CoA repair at our institution during the study period, four patients were prenatally diagnosed and no patient presented clinically with symptoms before 48 hours after delivery.

Conclusion

Compared with normal controls, patients with prenatally suspected coarctation are more likely to have delayed maternal bonding, delayed feeding, more frequent neonatal echocardiograms, and longer length of hospital stay. Further refinement of neonatal management may improve postnatal care.
Periventricular pseudocysts of noninfectious origin: Prenatal associated findings and prognostic factors
Authors: Levy Michal , Lev Dorit , Leibovitz Zvi , Kashanian Alon , Gindes Liat , Tamarkin Mordechai , Shalev Josef , Sira Liat B. , Mizrachi Yossi , Borovich Adi , Birnbaum Roee , Lerman‐Sagie Tally , Malinger Gustavo , Haratz Karina K.
Published: April 2020

Objective

The purpose of this study was to establish prognostic factors in fetuses diagnosed with periventricular pseudocysts (PVPCs) without known congenital infection, between 28 and 37 weeks of gestation.

Methods

This retrospective study included cases of fetal PVPC from 2008 to 2018. PVPCs were classified according to location, number, extension, morphology, and size. Additional findings, MRI and genetic studies were recorded. Pregnancy outcome, postnatal, or postmortem results were obtained. Images from patients with normal (Group 1) and abnormal postnatal development (Group 2) were compared for analysis of factors predictive of outcome.

Results

One‐hundred and fifteen pseudocysts were observed in 59 patients. In 34 fetuses (57%), the PVPC was an isolated finding. Thirty‐nine patients delivered live newborns, 27% opted for termination of pregnancy, and 4 patients were lost to follow‐up. Eighty‐four percent of the liveborns had normal development. When assessing for the influence of pseudocyst characteristics, a wide CSP, or large head circumference, neither of these affected the outcome. The presence of additional anomalies was the only positive predictor for abnormal development regradless of specific PVPC characteristics (P = .002).

Conclusions

In fetuses with PVPCs, the presence of additional anomalies was the only predictor for adverse postnatal outcome. No association between cystic characteristics and adverse outcome was observed.
Pressure‐assisted strategy for the synthesis of vinyl pyrrolidone‐based macro‐star photoiniferters. A route to star block copolymers
Authors: Maksym Paulina , Tarnacka Magdalena , Bernat Roksana , Bielas Rafał , Mielańczyk Anna , Hachuła Barbara , Kaminski Kamil , Paluch Marian
Published: April 2020

Star‐shaped 1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (VP)‐based polymers having four pendant arms were produced via high‐pressure RAFT using the trithiocarbonate‐functionalized core. The use of compression (p = 250 MPa) significantly reduced or eliminated star‐star/star‐chain coupling side reactions and termination process characteristics the for “core‐first” R‐type approach, still allowing for a “pseudo‐living” reaction course up to very high monomer conversion (>98%). Consequently, tailored and highly living star‐shaped poly(1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone)s (PVP) in a wide range of molecular weights M
n = 2.0–175.6 kg/mol (Đ = 1.18–1.80) have been obtained. The chain extension of the produced polymer was carried out with methyl methacrylate (MMA) via photo‐induced RAFT (λ = 365 nm) in the presence of tertiary amine catalyst, yielding well‐defined amphiphilic star‐shaped block copolymers. DSC measurements showed that synthesized star‐shaped PVP homopolymers revealed much lower glass transition temperature values compared to their commercially supplied linear analogs.
Low herbicide doses can change the responses of weeds to subsequent treatments in the next generation: metamitron exposed PSII‐target‐site resistant Chenopodium album as a case study
Authors: Belz Regina G
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUND

It is well known that exposure to mild stress can precondition organisms to better tolerate subsequent stress exposure in the same or future generations. Since herbicide hormesis also represents a moderate stress to exposed plants, a transgenerational priming is likely but not proven. Especially in herbicide‐resistant weeds showing enhanced reproductive fitness after regular herbicide treatments, the ability to induce resilient offspring phenotypes via hormesis may hasten the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds. This hypothesis was studied for the triazinone metamitron in an F1 offspring generation of PSII target‐site resistant (TSR) plants of Chenopodium album propagated after parental conditioning with various metamitron doses.

RESULTS

In two independent dose–response greenhouse trials, there was a positive correlation between the strength of the stimulatory response during parental preconditioning and the magnitude of transgenerational changes in herbicide sensitivity and hormesis expression. Parental conditioning at subhormetic and toxic concentrations lead to less resilient offspring, while conditioning doses that induced a pronounced hormetic effect in F0 plants had a sensitivity‐reducing and hormesis‐promoting effect on the offspring. The observed reduction in sensitivity in F1 plants compared to unconditioned F1 plants was up to 2.2‐fold.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that hormetic herbicide treatments have the ability to prime weeds for enhanced tolerance to subsequent treatments in the next generation. Effects proved dose sensitive and may act in concert with other stimulatory adaptations in plant populations. This is relevant for weed control and herbicide resistance evolution, but also for herbicide side‐effects that go beyond the exposed area. © 2020 The Author. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Revisiting the generalized pseudospectral method: Radial expectation values, fine structure, and hyperfine splitting of confined atom
Authors: Zhu Lin , He Yu Ying , Jiao Li Guang , Wang Yuan Cheng , Ho Yew Kam
Published: April 2020

This paper revisits the generalized pseudospectral (GPS) method on the calculation of various radial expectation values of atomic systems, especially on the spatially confined hydrogen atom and harmonic oscillator. As one of the collocation methods based on global functions, the powerfulness and robustness of the GPS method has been well established in solving the radial Schrödinger equation with high accuracy. However, in our recent work, it was found that the previous calculations based on the GPS method for the radial expectation values of confined systems show significant discrepancies with other theoretical methods. In this work we have tackled such a problem by tracing its source to the GPS method and found that the method itself may not be able to obtain the system wave function at the origin. Combined with an extrapolation method developed here, the GPS method can fully reproduce the radial quantities obtained by other theoretical methods, but with more flexibility, efficiency, and accuracy. We apply the GPS‐extrapolation method to investigate the relatievistic fine structure and hyperfine splitting of confined hydrogen atom in s‐wave states where the zero‐point wave function dominates. Good agreement with previous predictions is obtained for confined hydrogen in low‐lying states, and benchmark results are obtained for high‐lying excited states. The perturbation treatment of the fine and hyperfine interactions is validated in the confining environment.
Pembrolizumab‐induced secondary sclerosing cholangitis in a non‐small cell lung cancer patient
Authors: Matsumoto Sachiko , Watanabe Keisuke , Kobayashi Nobuaki , Irie Kuniyasu , Yamanaka Shoji , Kaneko Takeshi
Published: April 2020

A 50‐year‐old woman with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma received seven cycles of pembrolizumab as third‐line chemotherapy. Following the failure of pembrolizumab, she commenced fourth‐line chemotherapy of docetaxel and ramucirumab. The patient complained of epigastric pain and a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed oedema‐like thickening of the gallbladder wall, dilation of the bile ducts from the common to the intrahepatic bile ducts, and thickening of the common bile duct wall without any visible obstructions. Accumulation of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the gallbladder wall and bile duct was also detected with positron emission tomography (PET)‐CT. A biopsy of the extrahepatic bile duct showed non‐specific inflammation. Antibiotic treatment was not effective and pathogens were not detected. The patient was diagnosed with secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC) by pembrolizumab. She received 80 mg/day of prednisolone (PSL); however, SSC recurred with tapering of PSL. SSC then improved with steroid pulse therapy and subsequently 50 mg/day azathioprine and 80 mg/day PSL.
Recursive functions on conditional Galton‐Watson trees
Authors: Broutin Nicolas , Devroye Luc , Fraiman Nicolas
Published: April 2020

A recursive function on a tree is a function in which each leaf has a given value, and each internal node has a value equal to a function of the number of children, the values of the children, and possibly an explicitly specified random element U. The value of the root is the key quantity of interest in general. In this study, all node values and function values are in a finite set S. In this note, we describe the limit behavior when the leaf values are drawn independently from a fixed distribution on S, and the tree Tn is a random Galton‐Watson tree of size n.
TGF-β secreted by human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorates atopic dermatitis by inhibiting secretion of TNF-α and IgE
Authors: Park Hwan hee , Lee Seunghee , Yu Yeonsil , Yoo Sae Mi , Baek Song Yi , Jung Namhee , Seo Kwang-Won , Kang Kyung-Sun
Published: April 2020

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising therapeutics for autoimmune diseases due to their immunomodulatory effects. In particular, human umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs (hUCB-MSCs) have a prominent therapeutic effect on atopic dermatitis (AD). However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. This study investigated the role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) in the therapeutic effect of hUCB-MSCs on AD. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated depletion of TGF-β disrupted the therapeutic effect of hUCB-MSCs in a mouse model of AD by attenuating the beneficial changes in histopathology, mast cell infiltration, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression, and the serum IgE level. To confirm that hUCB-MSCs regulate secretion of TNF-α, we investigated whether they inhibit TNF-α secretion by activated LAD2 cells. Coculture with hUCB-MSCs significantly inhibited secretion of TNF-α by LAD2 cells. However, this effect was abolished by siRNA-mediated depletion of TGF-β in hUCB-MSCs. TNF-α expression in activated LAD2 cells was regulated by the extracellular signal-related kinase signaling pathway and was suppressed by TGF-β secreted from hUCB-MSCs. In addition, TGF-β secreted by hUCB-MSCs inhibited maturation of B cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that TGF-β plays a key role in the therapeutic effect of hUCB-MSCs on AD by regulating TNF-α in mast cells and maturation of B cells.
Three-dimensional Maxwellian extended Bargmann supergravity
Authors: Concha Patrick , Ravera Lucrezia , Rodríguez Evelyn
Published: April 2020

Abstract

We present a novel three-dimensional non-relativistic Chern-Simons supergravity theory invariant under a Maxwellian extended Bargmann superalgebra. We first study the non-relativistic limits of the minimal and the

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 2 Maxwell superalgebras. We show that a well-defined Maxwellian extended Bargmann supergravity requires to construct by hand a supersymmetric extension of the Maxwellian extended Bargmann algebra by introducing additional fermionic and bosonic generators. The new non-relativistic supergravity action presented here contains the extended Bargmann supergravity as a sub-case.
Two-loop non-leptonic penguin amplitude in QCD factorization
Authors: Bell Guido , Beneke Martin , Huber Tobias , Li Xin-Qiang
Published: April 2020

Abstract

We complete the calculation of the QCD penguin amplitude at next-to-next- to-leading order in the QCD factorization approach to non-leptonic B-meson decays. This provides the last missing piece in the computation of the QCD correction to direct CP asymmetries at leading power in the heavy-quark expansion.
Breaking the Grossman-Nir bound in kaon decays
Authors: He Xiao-Gang , Ma Xiao-Dong , Tandean Jusak , Valencia German
Published: April 2020

Abstract

The ratio

$$ \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({K}_L\to {\pi}^0v\overline{v}\right)/\mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}v\overline{v}\right) $$

ℬ

K
L

→

π
0

v

v
¯

/
ℬ

K
+

→

π
+

v

v
¯

of the branching fractions of kaon decays

$$ {K}_L\to {\pi}^0v\overline{v} $$

K
L

→

π
0

v

v
¯

and

$$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}v\overline{v} $$

K
+

→

π
+

v

v
¯

has a maximum of about 4.3 under the assumption that the underlying interactions change isospin by ∆I = 1/2. This is referred to as the Grossman-Nir (GN) bound, which is respected by the standard model (SM) and by many scenarios beyond it. Recent preliminary results of the KOTO and NA62 Collaborations searching for these kaon modes seem to imply a violation of this bound. The KOTO findings also suggest that

$$ \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({K}_L\to {\pi}^0v\overline{v}\right) $$

ℬ

K
L

→

π
0

v

v
¯

could be much larger, by nearly two orders of magnitude, than that predicted in the SM. In this work we study the possibility of violating the GN bound in an effective field theory approach with only SM fields. We show that the bound holds, in addition to the original GN scenarios, whether or not the kaon decays conserve lepton number. We demonstrate that the inclusion of ∆I = 3/2 operators can lead to a violation of the GN bound and illustrate with an example of how the KOTO numbers may be reached with a new physics scale of order tens of GeV.
ER stress activates immunosuppressive network: implications for aging and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Salminen Antero , Kaarniranta Kai , Kauppinen Anu
Published: April 2020

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) contains stress sensors which recognize the accumulation of unfolded proteins within the lumen of ER, and subsequently these transducers stimulate the unfolded protein response (UPR). The ER sensors include the IRE1, PERK, and ATF6 transducers which activate the UPR in an attempt to restore the quality of protein folding and thus maintain cellular homeostasis. If there is excessive stress, UPR signaling generates alarmins, e.g., chemokines and cytokines, which activate not only tissue-resident immune cells but also recruit myeloid and lymphoid cells into the affected tissues. ER stress is a crucial inducer of inflammation in many pathological conditions. A chronic low-grade inflammation and cellular senescence have been associated with the aging process and many age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, it is known that immune cells can exhibit great plasticity, i.e., they are able to display both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory phenotypes in a context-dependent manner. The microenvironment encountered in chronic inflammatory conditions triggers a compensatory immunosuppression which defends tissues from excessive inflammation. Recent studies have revealed that chronic ER stress augments the suppressive phenotypes of immune cells, e.g., in tumors and other inflammatory disorders. The activation of immunosuppressive network, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and regulatory T cells (Treg), has been involved in the aging process and Alzheimer’s disease. We will examine in detail whether the ER stress-related changes found in aging tissues and Alzheimer’s disease are associated with the activation of immunosuppressive network, as has been observed in tumors and many chronic inflammatory diseases.
Higher frequency hedonic property price indices: a state-space approach
Authors: Hill Robert J. , Rambaldi Alicia N. , Scholz Michael
Published: April 2020

The hedonic imputation method allows characteristic shadow prices to evolve over time. These shadow prices are used to construct matched samples of predicted prices, which are inserted into standard price index formulas. We use a spatio-temporal model to improve the method’s effectiveness on housing data at higher frequencies. The problem is that at higher frequencies, there may not be enough observations per period to reliably estimate the characteristic shadow prices. In such cases, the reliability of the hedonic imputation method is improved by using a state-space formulation which yields estimates of the shadow prices that are weighted sums of previous periods’ information. In addition, the state-space representation of the model includes a geospatial spline surface which significantly reduces the number of parameters to be estimated when compared to the standard practice of including postcode dummies in the model. Empirically, using a novel criterion, we show that in higher frequency comparisons, our hedonic method outperforms competing alternatives.
Growth and mortality of Norway spruce and European beech in monospecific and mixed-species stands under natural episodic and experimentally extended drought. Results of the KROOF throughfall exclusion experiment
Authors: Pretzsch H. , Grams T. , Häberle K. H. , Pritsch K. , Bauerle T. , Rötzer T.
Published: April 2020

Key message

Under severe drought, growth of Norway spruce suffered much more than European beech. Norway spruce benefited from growing in the environment of beech, and both species acclimated slightly to 5 years of experimentally extended drought.

Recent studies show that the detrimental effects of drought on stand growth are mitigated when the stand contains mixed tree species. We analysed the growth responses of Norway spruce and European beech to episodic and experimentally extended drought in intra- and inter-specific mature stands. We used annual diameter growth records dating back to 1998 to determine the impact of the natural episodic drought in 2003 and 2015. To analyse extended drought, spruce and beech trees were exposed to extreme drought under automatic throughfall exclusion roofs from 2014 to 2018. The growth of spruce in an inter-specific environment with beech was 20–50% less affected by natural episodic drought compared with an intra-specific constellation. When beech grew in an inter-specific environment, it was by 23% more affected by drought compared to intra-specific conditions, but seemed to recover faster. The induced drought from 2014 to 2018 resulted in a strong growth reduction in the first year particularly for spruce, followed by a slight acclimation to the dry conditions. Beech acclimated and recovered faster than spruce across all growing conditions, while spruce only acclimatized faster in the environment of beech. Both species showed a higher mortality under induced drought compared with the controls; for spruce, the mortality rate was fivefold higher compared to the long-term mortality. The long-term moderate-growth stabilization and the growth increase after the 5-year exposure to drought suggest a gradual acclimation to drought by beech. The resistance and acclimation to drought of spruce when growing in mixture should be considered when designing resource efficient and productive mixed conifer-broadleaved stands for future climates.
Mandibular dental implant placement immediately after teeth removal in head and neck cancer patients
Authors: Alberga Jamie M. , Korfage Anke , Bonnema Ilse , Witjes Max J. H. , Vissink Arjan , Raghoebar Gerry M.
Published: April 2020

Background

Little is known about immediate implant placement in head and neck cancer patients. We studied implant survival and functional outcomes of overdentures fabricated on implants placed immediately after removal of the lower dentition during ablative surgery or preceding primary radiotherapy (RT).

Methods

Inclusion criteria were primary head and neck cancer, dentate lower jaw, and indication for removal of remaining teeth. Two implants to support a mandibular overdenture were placed immediately after extraction of the dentition during ablative surgery, or prior to starting primary radiotherapy. Standardized questionnaires and clinical assessments were conducted (median follow-up 18.5 months, IQR 13.3).

Results

Fifty-eight implants were placed in 29 patients. Four implants were lost (implant survival rate 93.1%). In 9 patients, no functional overdenture could be made. All patients were satisfied with their dentures.

Conclusions

Combining dental implant placement with removal of remaining teeth preceding head neck oncology treatment results in a favorable treatment outcome.
Risk of hernia formation after radical prostatectomy: a comparison between open and robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy within the prospectively controlled LAPPRO trial
Authors: Nilsson H. , Stranne J. , Hugosson J. , Wessman C. , Steineck G. , Bjartell A. , Carlsson S. , Thorsteinsdottir T. , Tyritzis S. I. , Lantz A. , Wiklund P. , Haglind E.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

In addition to incisional hernia, inguinal hernia is a recognized complication to radical retropubic prostatectomy. To compare the risk of developing inguinal and incisional hernias after open radical prostatectomy compared to robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

Method

Patients planned for prostatectomy were enrolled in the prospective, controlled LAPPRO trial between September 2008 and November 2011 at 14 hospitals in Sweden. Information regarding patient characteristics, operative techniques and occurrence of postoperative inguinal and incisional hernia were retrieved using six clinical record forms and four validated questionnaires.

Results

3447 patients operated with radical prostatectomy were analyzed. Within 24 months, 262 patients developed an inguinal hernia, 189 (7.3%) after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and 73 (8.4%) after open radical prostatectomy. The relative risk of having an inguinal hernia after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy was 18% lower compared to open radical retropubic prostatectomy, a non-significant difference. Risk factors for developing an inguinal hernia after prostatectomy were increased age, low BMI and previous hernia repair. The incidence of incisional hernia was low regardless of surgical technique. Limitations are the non-randomised setting.

Conclusions

We found no difference in incidence of inguinal hernia after open retropubic and robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. The low incidence of incisional hernia after both procedures did not allow for statistical analysis. Risk factors for developing an inguinal hernia after prostatectomy were increased age and BMI.
Large-Eddy Simulation of Neutrally-Stratified Turbulent Flow Within and Above Plant Canopy Using the Central-Moments-Based Lattice Boltzmann Method
Authors: Watanabe Tsutomu , Shimoyama Kou , Kawashima Masayuki , Mizoguchi Yasuko , Inagaki Atsushi
Published: April 2020

A central-moments-based lattice Boltzmann model for large-eddy simulation of neutrally-stratified turbulent flows is described. Through comparative simulations of the airflow within and above a homogeneous plant canopy, the performance of the model is evaluated with respect to a conventional large-eddy-simulation model based on the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Simulated turbulence statistics, such as the mean velocity, velocity variances, velocity skewness, and power spectra, are shown to be almost identical between the two models. The spatial structure of coherent eddies and their maintenance processes are also confirmed to be properly represented by the lattice Boltzmann method through analysis of the turbulence kinetic energy budget and spatial two-point correlation functions. Using the simulated results, the energetics of the streamwise-elongated streaky structures commonly observed over vegetation and urban canopies are examined. While the short-wavelength components of the shear-generated streamwise kinetic energy are redirected rapidly by pressure to the lateral and vertical velocity components, long-wavelength energy tends to remain in the streamwise velocity component, which is dissipated in relatively slower processes. Consequently, the streaky structures persist in the streamwise velocity component.
Derivation of an effective thermal electrochemical model for porous electrode batteries using asymptotic homogenisation
Authors: Hunt M. J. , Brosa Planella F. , Theil F. , Widanage W. D.
Published: April 2020

Thermal electrochemical models for porous electrode batteries (such as lithium ion batteries) are widely used. Due to the multiple scales involved, solving the model accounting for the porous microstructure is computationally expensive; therefore, effective models at the macroscale are preferable. However, these effective models are usually postulated ad hoc rather than systematically upscaled from the microscale equations. We present an effective thermal electrochemical model obtained using asymptotic homogenisation, which includes the electrochemical model at the cell level coupled with a thermal model that can be defined at either the cell or the battery level. The main aspects of the model are the consideration of thermal effects, the diffusion effects in the electrode particles, and the anisotropy of the material based on the microstructure, all of them incorporated in a systematic manner. We also compare the homogenised model with the standard electrochemical Doyle, Fuller & Newman model.
‘Kutonga Kwaro Gamba’: Politics and the renaming of defence cantonments in the ‘Second Republic’ in Zimbabwe
Authors: Mamvura Zvinashe
Published: April 2020

Like Kenya, Namibia, and South Africa, Zimbabwe was one of the countries that the imperial mission had targeted to establish as a settler economy. The objective of creating a white settler colony was evident in the entire colonial system, including place naming. Generally, place naming served political functions of declaring power and authority over the entire colony. While white minority rule ended in 1980, it, however, left some symbolic imprints on the cultural landscape of the independent nation, Zimbabwe. Given that colonialism entrenched white identity on the cultural landscape, this article interrogates efforts by the Mnangagwa government, which assumed political office in November 2017, to dislodge Rhodesian memory from the cultural landscape. This article demonstrates that decolonisation is not an event but an ongoing process that political elites execute whenever they want to serve present political purposes. It interrogates the dialectics of political power and remembering the past in Zimbabwe during the aftermath of the military-induced political change of November 2017. The re-inscription of the landscape that the Mnangagwa regime executed specifically targeted military cantonments throughout the country. This decolonisation process was ostensibly done to dismantle white identities from the cultural landscape. However, this article argues that the place renaming exercise served to write back the liberation war legacy into mainstream history, symbolically declared the regime’s political power, and served to legitimise the political status quo. These political purposes had roots in the succession race and the internal party politics within the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front (ZANU- PF) that preceded the political transition.
Coalitions’ Weights in a Dispersed System with Pawlak Conflict Model
Authors: Przybyła-Kasperek Małgorzata
Published: April 2020

The article addresses the issues related to making decisions by an ensemble of classifiers. Classifiers are built based on local tables, the set of local tables is called a dispersed knowledge. The paper discusses a novel application of Pawlak analysis model to examine the relations between classifiers and to create coalitions of classifiers. Each coalition has access to some aggregated knowledge on the basis of which joint decisions are made. Various types of coalitions are formed—a strong coalitions consisting of a large number and significant classifiers, and a weak coalitions consisting of insignificant classifiers. The new contributions of the paper is a systematical investigation of the weights of coalitions that influence the final decision. Four different method of calculating the strength of the coalitions have been applied. Each of these methods consider another aspect of the structure of the coalitions. Generally, it has been experimentally confirmed that, for a method that correctly identifies the relations between base classifiers, the use of coalitions weights improves the quality of classification. More specifically, it has been statistically confirmed that the best results are generated by the weighting method that is based on the size of the coalitions and the method based on the unambiguous of the decisions.
k-partial permutations and the center of the wreath product $${\mathcal {S}}_k\wr {\mathcal {S}}_n$$ algebra
Authors: Tout Omar
Published: April 2020

We generalize the concept of partial permutations of Ivanov and Kerov and introducek-partial permutations. This allows us to show that the structure coefficients of the center of the wreath product$${\mathcal {S}}_k\wr {\mathcal {S}}_n$$Sk≀Snalgebra are polynomials innwith nonnegative integer coefficients. We use a universal algebra$${\mathcal {I}}_\infty ^k$$I∞k, which projects on the center$$Z({\mathbb {C}}[{\mathcal {S}}_k\wr {\mathcal {S}}_n])$$Z(C[Sk≀Sn])for eachn. We show that$${\mathcal {I}}_\infty ^k$$I∞kis isomorphic to the algebra of shifted symmetric functions on many alphabets.
Job Crafting Among American Workers with Disabilities
Authors: Brucker Debra L. , Sundar Vidya
Published: April 2020

PurposeJob crafting is an informal, employee-initiated approach to job re-design that has not been tested among people with disabilities, thus far. The purpose of this study is to examine crafting behaviors of workers with disabilities and individual factors associated with crafting behaviors.MethodsWe conducted a survey of employees with disabilities who were 18–64 years old and had at least 1 year of work experience. Bivariate and multivariate methods were used to: (1) compare the use of job crafting behaviors between our sample and published results from a sample of the general population; (2) identify individual characteristics associated with job crafting for workers with disabilities.ResultsPersons with disabilities engage in job crafting behaviors, albeit at lower levels than that reported in a broader sample (Int J Wellbeing,https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v3i2.1, 2013). Education, and disability type (visual and mobility impairment) were associated with certain types of crafting behaviors.ConclusionsAs job crafting can be associated with higher levels of engagement and career growth among persons without disabilities, findings from this research can be utilized to design programs and policies that support the career goals of people with disabilities beyond labor force participation.
Enabling pregnant women and their physicians to make informed medication decisions using artificial intelligence
Authors: Davidson Lena , Boland Mary Regina
Published: April 2020

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare for pregnant women. To assess the role of AI in women’s health, discover gaps, and discuss the future of AI in maternal health. A systematic review of English articles using EMBASE, PubMed, and SCOPUS. Search terms included pregnancy and AI. Research articles and book chapters were included, while conference papers, editorials and notes were excluded from the review. Included papers focused on pregnancy and AI methods, and pertained to pharmacologic interventions. We identified 376 distinct studies from our queries. A final set of 31 papers were included for the review. Included papers represented a variety of pregnancy concerns and multidisciplinary applications of AI. Few studies relate to pregnancy, AI, and pharmacologics and therefore, we review carefully those studies. External validation of models and techniques described in the studies is limited, impeding on generalizability of the studies. Our review describes how AI has been applied to address maternal health, throughout the pregnancy process: preconception, prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal health concerns. However, there is a lack of research applying AI methods to understand how pharmacologic treatments affect pregnancy. We identify three areas where AI methods could be used to improve our understanding of pharmacological effects of pregnancy, including: (a) obtaining sound and reliable data from clinical records (15 studies), (b) designing optimized animal experiments to validate specific hypotheses (1 study) to (c) implementing decision support systems that inform decision-making (11 studies). The largest literature gap that we identified is with regards to using AI methods to optimize translational studies between animals and humans for pregnancy-related drug exposures.
Medication by Proxy: The Devolution of Psychiatric Power and Shared Accountability to Psychopharmaceutical Use Among Soldiers in America’s Post-9/11 Wars
Authors: Chua Jocelyn Lim
Published: April 2020

With the United States military stretched thin in the “global war on terror,” military officials have embraced psychopharmaceuticals in the effort to enable more troops to remain “mission-capable.” Within the intimate conditions in which deployed military personnel work and live, soldiers learn to read for signs of psychopharmaceutical use by others, and consequently, may become accountable to those on medication in new ways. On convoys and in the barracks, up in the observation post and out in the motor pool, the presence and perceived volatility of psychopharmaceuticals can enlist non-medical military personnel into the surveillance and monitoring of medicated peers, in sites far beyond the clinic. Drawing on fieldwork with Army personnel and veterans, this article explores collective and relational aspects of psychopharmaceutical use among soldiers deployed post-9/11 in Iraq and Afghanistan. I theorize this social landscape as a form of “medication by proxy,” both to play on the fluidity of the locus of medication administration and effects within the military corporate body, and to emphasize the material and spatial ways that proximity to psychopharmaceuticals pulls soldiers into relationships of care, concern and risk management. Cases presented here reveal a devolution and dispersal of biomedical psychiatric power that complicates mainstream narratives of mental health stigma in the US military.
Profiles of warm engagement and cold evaluation in multiple-document comprehension
Authors: Strømsø Helge I. , Bråten Ivar , Brante Eva W.
Published: April 2020

We explored potential profiles of interest, attitudes, and source evaluation by performing cluster analysis in a sample of Norwegian upper-secondary students. Differences among the profile groups with regard to multiple-document use were examined. The profile groups were partly consistent with the default stances described by the cognitive-affective engagement model of multiple-source use (List & Alexander, 2017), resulting in critical analytic, evaluative, and disengaged profiles. However, the model’s assumption that interest and attitude constitute one affective engagement dimension was not confirmed. There were no statistically significant differences between the profile groups in the processing of a set of multiple documents; yet there was a tendency for students who adopted a critical analytic stance to engage in a more thorough text selection process. Those students also included more information units from the selected texts in their written products and integrated information units across the texts more frequently compared to the other profile groups.
The Design of a Defense Mechanism to Mitigate Sinkhole Attack in Software Defined Wireless Sensor Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Sejaphala Lanka Chris , Velempini Mthulisi
Published: April 2020

The sink hole attack is a typical wireless sensor network attack. The sink hole node advertises itself as the best route to the sink node or the base station. The nodes in the communication zone of the sink hole node then redirects their observed data to the sink hole node upon receiving the broadcasted supposedly the best route. The sink node receives the packets and then drops them. It can also modify them before relaying them to the sink node or base station. This study proposes a scheme designed to address the effects of the sink hole attack called the Hop Count-Based Detection Scheme for Sinkhole Attack. The performance of the scheme is evaluated using Matlab. The scheme is compared to Ibrahim’s algorithm which is the best algorithm in literature. The simulation results show that HCODESSA achieves good results in comparison to Ibrahim’s. The results show that the sinkhole attack has adverse effect on the performance of the network and that its severity depends on the number of nodes it can mislead. We further evaluated the two schemes using statistical techniques which proved that HCODESSA performs better.
Risk minimisation using options and risky assets
Authors: Maasar Mohd Azdi , Roman Diana , Date Paresh
Published: April 2020

We consider mean-risk portfolio optimisation models, with risk measured by symmetric measures (variance) as well as downside or tail measures (lower partial moments, conditional value at risk). A framework for including index options in the universe of assets, in addition to stocks, is provided. The exercise of index options is settled in cash, making this implementable with a variety of strike prices and maturities. We use a dataset with stocks from FTSE 100 and index options on FTSE100. Numerical results show that, for low risk-low return and to medium risk-medium return portfolios, the addition of an index put further reduces the risk to a considerable extent, particularly in the case of mean-CVaR efficient portfolios, where the left tail of the portfolio return distribution is dramatically improved. For high risk-high return portfolios, the inclusion of an index call improves the right tail of the return distribution, creating thus the opportunity for considerably higher returns.