bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immune landscape and a novel immunotherapy-related gene signature associated with clinical outcome in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Bao Xuanwen , Shi Run , Zhao Tianyu , Wang Yanfang
Published: April 2020

Patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) exhibit different overall survival (OS) rates and immunotherapy responses. Understanding the immune landscape facilitates the personalized treatment of LUAD. The immune cell populations in tumour tissues were quantified to depict the immune landscape in early-stage LUAD patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Early-stage LUAD patients in three immune clusters identified by the immune landscape exhibited different survival potentials. A prognostic immune-related gene signature was built to predict the survival of early-stage LUAD patients. Several machine learning methods (support vector machine, naive Bayes, random forest, and neural network-based deep learning) were applied to train the classifiers to identify the immune clusters in early-stage LUAD based on the gene signature. The four classifiers exhibited a robust effect in identifying the immune clusters. A random forest regression model identified that TP53 was the most important gene mutation associated with the immune-related signature. Furthermore, a decision tree and a nomogram were constructed based on the immune-related gene signature and clinicopathological traits to improve risk stratification and quantify risk assessment for individual patients. Five external test cohorts were applied to validate the accuracy of the immune-related signature. Our study might contribute to the development of immunotherapy and the personalized treatment of early-stage LUAD.

Key messages

Immune landscape correlates with the clinical outcome of early-stage adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Machine learning methods identifies a prognostic gene signature to predict the survival and prognosis of early-stage LUAD.

TP53 gene mutation status correlates with the immune landscape in early-stage LUAD.
Model-based monitoring of temperatures and heat flows in the milling cutter
Authors: Augspurger T. , Da Silva G. , Schraknepper D. , Mattfeld P. , Bergs T.
Published: April 2020

The quantification of the heat flow distribution in the cutting zone is still an unsolved problem from an analytical as well as experimental perspective. Yet the heat flows into the tool and the time-variant temperature fields in the tool significantly influence the tool wear rate. This publication shows the results of a model extended measuring approach in order to monitor as well as investigate heat flows and their partitioning in the milling process under dry conditions. Therefore, the cutting power in the process was measured by means of a dynamometer as well as the temperature in the tool by an embedded thermocouple. The time response of the embedded thermocouple was accounted by an analytical time response function. By further data post processing of the temperature, the heat flow into the tool was inversely determined by comparison of the measured temperature trend at a distinct point with an analytically modeled, transient temperature as a solution of the heat conduction equations by a Green’s function. As input into the analytical model, an iteratively determined partition of the measured time-variant cutting power signal was used. The results showed a decreasing heat partition into the tool with rising cutting velocity. The introduced approach is a valuable tool not only to determine the heat partition in the milling process but also to understand and monitor the comprehensive thermo-mechanical conditions in the cutting zone. Understanding and monitoring thermo-mechanical conditions in the cutting process finally enable the exploitation of economic and ecologic process potentials.
An Improved FPT Algorithm for Independent Feedback Vertex Set
Authors: Li Shaohua , Pilipczuk Marcin
Published: April 2020

We study the Independent Feedback Vertex Set problem — a variant of the classic Feedback Vertex Set problem where, given a graph G and an integer k, the problem is to decide whether there exists a vertex set $S\subseteq V(G)$
S
⊆
V
(
G
)
such that G ∖ S is a forest and S is an independent set of size at most k. We present an $\mathcal {O}^{\ast }((1+\varphi ^{2})^{k})$

O

∗

(

(
1
+

φ

2

)

k

)
-time FPT algorithm for this problem, where φ < 1.619 is the golden ratio, improving the previous fastest $\mathcal {O}^{\ast }(4.1481^{k})$

O

∗

(
4.148

1

k

)
-time algorithm given by Agrawal et al. (2016). The exponential factor in our time complexity bound matches the fastest deterministic FPT algorithm for the classic Feedback Vertex Set problem. On the technical side, the main novelty is a refined measure of an input instance in a branching process, that allows for a simpler and more concise description and analysis of the algorithm.
Integrating Place Attachment into Management Frameworks: Exploring Place Attachment Across the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum
Authors: Wynveen Christopher J. , Schneider Ingrid E. , Arnberger Arne , Cottrell Stuart , von Ruschkowski Eick
Published: April 2020

The importance of place in landscape management and outdoor recreation has been prominent in the literature since the 1970s. As such, calls to incorporate place into the management of parks, forests, and other protected areas exist. However, little work explores how place attachment may complement existing management frameworks. Hence, the purpose of this investigation was to explore levels of visitors’ place attachment intensity across the six classes of the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS). Survey data collected in North America and Europe indicated there was more similarity in place attachment intensities among areas classified toward the less developed end of the ROS, while greater variation existed among the more developed sites. Observing place attachment across all six ROS classes allowed for a deeper understanding of the correlation between place and the management framework.
Truthful fair division without free disposal
Authors: Bei Xiaohui , Huzhang Guangda , Suksompong Warut
Published: April 2020

We study the problem of fairly dividing a heterogeneous resource, commonly known as cake cutting and chore division, in the presence of strategic agents. While a number of results in this setting have been established in previous works, they rely crucially on thefree disposalassumption, meaning that the mechanism is allowed to throw away part of the resource at no cost. In the present work, we remove this assumption and focus on mechanisms that always allocate the entire resource. We exhibit a truthful and envy-free mechanism for cake cutting and chore division for two agents with piecewise uniform valuations, and we complement our result by showing that such a mechanism does not exist when certain additional constraints are imposed on the mechanisms. Moreover, we provide bounds on the efficiency of mechanisms satisfying various properties, and give truthful mechanisms for multiple agents with restricted classes of valuations.
Can we predict the altered subjective quality assessment of sound after ear canal surgery?
Authors: Zwemstra M. R. , Brienesse P. , Ebbens F. A. , de Wolf M. J. F. , van Spronsen E.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

To correlate the subjective quality assessment of ear canal acoustics of the participants to the objective measurement of the ear canal acoustics. The objective ear canal acoustics is the frequency-dependent modulation of soundwaves through the ear canal. Our second objective is to design a model to predict the subjective quality of sound based on the altered objective ear canal acoustics.

Methods

To determine the frequency-dependent modulation of the soundwaves the real-ear unaided gain (REUG) of the ear canal is measured. 40 participants with normal hearing were presented six simulated sound fragments representing the acoustic properties of six different ear canals (REUG). These six sound fragments were built based on the difference between these six REUGs and the average REUG of a normal adult ear canal. Subjective sound quality was evaluated using a VAS score and a paired comparison score.

Results

We found a strong correlation between the objective ear canal acoustics and the subjective assessment of the quality of sound (Spearman’s rho—0.89). Our linear mixed VAS model for individual participants has an intercept of 95.6 and a slope of − 4.2 (p < 0.001). The paired comparison analysis endorsed our findings that an increased difference in REUG is predictive for a decreased quality assessment of ear canal acoustics.

Conclusion

There is a strong correlation between the subjective evaluation of ear canal acoustics and the objective quality assessment of ear canal acoustics. Our models show that an increased difference in REUG predicts a decreased quality of ear canal acoustics.
Parallel and serial task processing in the PRP paradigm: a drift–diffusion model approach
Authors: Mattes André , Tavera Felice , Ophey Anja , Roheger Mandy , Gaschler Robert , Haider Hilde
Published: April 2020

Even after a long time of research on dual-tasking, the question whether the two tasks are always processed serially (response selection bottleneck models, RSB) or also in parallel (capacity-sharing models) is still going on. The first models postulate that the central processing stages of two tasks cannot overlap, producing a central processing bottleneck in Task 2. The second class of models posits that cognitive resources are shared between the central processing stages of two tasks, allowing for parallel processing. In a series of three experiments, we aimed at inducing parallel vs. serial processing by manipulating the relative frequency of short vs. long SOAs (Experiments 1 and 2) and including no-go trials in Task 2 (Experiment 3). Beyond the conventional response time (RT) analyses, we employed drift–diffusion model analyses to differentiate between parallel and serial processing. Even though our findings were rather consistent across the three experiments, they neither support unambiguously the assumptions derived from the RSB model nor those derived from capacity-sharing models. SOA frequency might lead to an adaptation to frequent time patterns. Overall, our diffusion model results and mean RTs seem to be better explained by participant’s time expectancies.
Possible molecular and cellular mechanisms at the basis of atmospheric electromagnetic field bioeffects
Authors: Cifra Michal , Apollonio Francesca , Liberti Micaela , García-Sánchez Tomás , Mir Lluis M.
Published: April 2020

Mechanisms of how electromagnetic (EM) field acts on biological systems are governed by the same physics regardless of the origin of the EM field (technological, atmospheric...), given that EM parameters are the same. We draw from a large body of literature of bioeffects of a man-made electromagnetic field. In this paper, we performed a focused review on selected possible mechanisms of how atmospheric electromagnetic phenomena can act at the molecular and cellular level. We first briefly review the range of frequencies and field strengths for both electric and magnetic fields in the atmosphere. Then, we focused on a concise description of the current knowledge on weak electric and magnetic field bioeffects with possible molecular mechanisms at the basis of possible EM field bioeffects combined with modeling strategies to estimate reliable outcomes and speculate about the biological effects linked to lightning or pyroelectricity. Indeed, we bring pyroelectricity as a natural source of voltage gradients previously unexplored. While very different from lightning, it can result in similar bioeffects based on similar mechanisms, which can lead to close speculations on the importance of these atmospheric electric fields in the evolution.
Mesozoic deposits of SW Gondwana (Namibia): unravelling Gondwanan sedimentary dispersion drivers by detrital zircon
Authors: Zieger J. , Harazim S. , Hofmann M. , Gärtner A. , Gerdes A. , Marko L. , Linnemann U.
Published: April 2020

The Namibian Mesozoic successions may be remnant of a high dynamic sedimentary system that is characterized by multiple stages of sediment accumulation and erosion with contemporaneous homogenization starting with the deposition of the Permo-Carboniferous Dwyka Group strata and continues at least until the Lower Cretaceous. The Lower Cretaceous sedimentary system is interpreted to have involved at least an area covering the whole SW Gondwana, documenting the sedimentary history during the evolution from an ice house environment to an arid desert. To test the sediment homogenization hypothesis, we applied a combination of isotopic and morphometric data on detrital zircon grains, as well as whole-rock geochemical data of selected Mesozoic sandstones from Namibia. As a base for the interpretation of the detrital zircon age data we compiled a zircon age dataset with c. 44,000 analyses for the southern African region. All samples reveal a major detrital pan-African zircon age peak of c. 0.5–0.7 Ga sourced from the pan-African magmatic events occurring around the Kalahari Craton margin. The lowermost Triassic is characterized by the occurrence of additional Mesoproterozoic and Paleoproterozoic age peaks of c. 1.0–1.2 Ga and 1.8–2.0 Ga with a majority of zircon grains showing angular shapes. The protosource of these grains is interpreted to possibly be the Namaqua Metamorphic Complex and other Paleoproterozoic structural units deformed in course of the Namaqua orogeny. In contrast, other samples show a prominent Permo-Triassic age peak and completely rounded zircon grains, putatively derived from within the Gondwanides volcanic arc. The disparity in the zircon age pattern may point towards a change in provenance and also a change in the whole system of zircon recycling during the Mesozoic southern Gondwana. The Lower Triassic Neu Loore fm. are constrained to more local bedrock sources and short zircon transport distance. In contrast, zircon grains of the Middle Triassic Omingonde, the Jurassic Etjo und the Cretaceous Twyfelfontein formations are an expression for a major recycling and sediment homogenization system. The system was facilitated by an interplay between fluvial and eolian sedimentary transport systems.
A label-free biosensor based on graphene and reduced graphene oxide dual-layer for electrochemical determination of beta-amyloid biomarkers
Authors: Sethi Jagriti , Van Bulck Michiel , Suhail Ahmed , Safarzadeh Mina , Perez-Castillo Ana , Pan Genhua
Published: April 2020

A label-free biosensor is developed for the determination of plasma-based Aβ1–42 biomarker in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The platform is based on highly conductive dual-layer of graphene and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The modification of dual-layer with 1-pyrenebutyric acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (Pyr-NHS) is achieved to facilitate immobilization of H31L21 antibody. The effect of these modifications were studied with morphological, spectral and electrochemical techniques. The response of the biosensor was evaluated using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The data was acquired at a working potential of ~ 180 mV and a scan rate of 50 mV s−1. A low limit of detection (LOD) of 2.398 pM is achieved over a wide linear range from 11 pM to 55 nM. The biosensor exhibits excellent specificity over Aβ1–40 and ApoE ε4 interfering species. Thus, it provides a viable tool for electrochemical determination of Aβ1–42. Spiked human and mice plasmas were used for the successful validation of the sensing platform in bio-fluidic samples. The results obtained from mice plasma analysis concurred with the immunohistochemistry (IHC) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data obtained from brain analysis.
Materialising contexts: virtual soundscapes for real-world exploration
Authors: Cliffe Laurence , Mansell James , Greenhalgh Chris , Hazzard Adrian
Published: April 2020

This article presents the results of a study based on a group of participants’ interactions with an experimental sound installation at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, UK. The installation used audio augmented reality to attach virtual sound sources to a vintage radio receiver from the museum’s collection, with a view to understanding the potentials of this technology for promoting exploration and engagement within museums and galleries. We employ a practice-based design ethnography, including a thematic analysis of our participants’ interactions with spatialised interactive audio, and present an identified sequence of interactional phases. We discuss how audio augmented artefacts can communicate and engage visitors beyond their traditional confines of line-of-sight, and how visitors can be drawn to engage further, beyond the realm of their original encounter. Finally, we provide evidence of how contextualised and embodied interactions, along with authentic audio reproduction, evoked personal memories associated with our museum artefact, and how this can promote interest in the acquisition of declarative knowledge. Additionally, through the adoption of a functional and theoretical aura-based model, we present ways in which this could be achieved, and, overall, we demonstrate a material object’s potential role as an interface for engaging users with, and contextualising, immaterial digital audio archival content.
Computational analysis of transport in three-dimensional heterogeneous materials
Authors: Boccardo Gianluca , Crevacore Eleonora , Passalacqua Alberto , Icardi Matteo
Published: April 2020

Porous and heterogeneous materials are found in many applications from composites, membranes, chemical reactors, and other engineered materials to biological matter and natural subsurface structures. In this work we propose an integrated approach to generate, study and upscale transport equations in random and periodic porous structures. The geometry generation is based on random algorithms or ballistic deposition. In particular, a new algorithm is proposed to generate random packings of ellipsoids with random orientation and tunable porosity and connectivity. The porous structure is then meshed using locally refined Cartesian-based or unstructured strategies. Transport equations are thus solved in a finite-volume formulation with quasi-periodic boundary conditions to simplify the upscaling problem by solving simple closure problems consistent with the classical theory of homogenisation for linear advection–diffusion–reaction operators. Existing simulation codes are extended with novel developments and integrated to produce a fully open-source simulation pipeline. A showcase of a few interesting three-dimensional applications of these computational approaches is then presented. Firstly, convergence properties and the transport and dispersion properties of a periodic arrangement of spheres are studied. Then, heat transfer problems are considered in a pipe with layers of deposited particles of different heights, and in heterogeneous anisotropic materials.
Impacts of progressive urban expansion on subsurface temperatures in the city of Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
Authors: Visser Philip W. , Kooi Henk , Bense Victor , Boerma Emiel
Published: April 2020

Subsurface temperatures are substantially higher in urban areas than in surrounding rural environments; the result is a subsurface urban heat island (SUHI). SUHIs and their drivers have received attention in studies world-wide. In this study, a well-constrained data set of subsurface temperatures from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, is presented. The study demonstrates that, through modeling of centuries-long (from fourteenth to twenty-first century) urban development and climate change, along with the history of both the surface urban heat-island temperatures and ground surface temperatures, it is possible to simulate the development and present state of the Amsterdam SUHI. The results provide insight into the drivers of long-term SUHI development, which makes it possible to distinguish subterranean heat sources of more recent times that are localized drivers (such as geothermal energy systems, sewers, boiler basements, subway stations or district heating) from larger-scale drivers (mainly heat loss from buildings and raised ground-surface temperatures due to pavements). Because these findings have consequences for the assessment of the shallow geothermal potential of the SUHIs, it is proposed to distinguish between (1) a regional, long-term SUHI that has developed over centuries due to the larger-scale drivers, and (2) local anomalies caused by anthropogenic heat sources less than one century old.
Computing several eigenvalues of nonlinear eigenvalue problems by selection
Authors: Hochstenbach Michiel E. , Plestenjak Bor
Published: April 2020

Computing more than one eigenvalue for (large sparse) one-parameter polynomial and general nonlinear eigenproblems, as well as for multiparameter linear and nonlinear eigenproblems, is a much harder task than for standard eigenvalue problems. We present simple but efficient selection methods based on divided differences to do this. Selection means that the approximate eigenpair is picked from candidate pairs that satisfy a certain suitable criterion. The goal of this procedure is to steer the process away from already detected pairs. In contrast to locking techniques, it is not necessary to keep converged eigenvectors in the search space, so that the entire search space may be devoted to new information. The selection techniques are applicable to many types of matrix eigenvalue problems; standard deflation is feasible only for linear one-parameter problems. The methods are easy to understand and implement. Although the use of divided differences is well known in the context of nonlinear eigenproblems, the proposed selection techniques are new for one-parameter problems. For multiparameter problems, we improve on and generalize our previous work. We also show how to use divided differences in the framework of homogeneous coordinates, which may be appropriate for generalized eigenvalue problems with infinite eigenvalues. While the approaches are valuable alternatives for one-parameter nonlinear eigenproblems, they seem the only option for multiparameter problems.
Correction to: Transition from C3 to proto-Kranz to C3–C4 intermediate type in the genus Chenopodium (Chenopodiaceae)
Authors: Yorimitsu Yuki , Kadosono Aya , Hatakeyama Yuto , Yabiku Takayuki , Ueno Osamu
Published: April 2020

The article Transition from C3 to Correspondence t
Correction to: Cell cycle inhibitors improve seed storability after priming treatments
Authors: Sano Naoto , Seo Mitsunori
Published: April 2020

The article Cell cycle inhibitors improve seed storability after priming treatments, written by Naoto Sano and Mitsunori Seo, was originally published Online First without Open Access.
The analysis of dissolved inorganic carbon in liquid using a microfluidic conductivity sensor with membrane separation of CO2
Authors: Tweedie M. , Sun D. , Gajula D. R. , Ward B. , Maguire P. D.
Published: April 2020

Autonomous continuous analysis of oceanic dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration with depth is of great significance with regard to ocean acidification and climate change. However, miniaturisation of in situ analysis systems is hampered by the size, cost and power requirements of traditional optical instrumentation. Here, we report a low-cost microfluidic alternative based on CO2 separation and conductance measurements that could lead to integrated lab-on-chip systems for ocean float deployment, or for moored or autonomous surface vehicle applications. Conductimetric determination of concentration, in the seawater range of 1000–3000 µmol kg−1, has been achieved using a microfluidic thin-film electrode conductivity cell and a membrane-based gas exchange cell. Sample acidification released CO2 through the membrane, reacting in a NaOH carrier, later drawn through a sub-µL conductivity cell, for impedance versus time measurements. Precision values (relative standard deviations) were ~ 0.2% for peak height measurements at 2000 µmol kg−1. Comparable precision values of ~ 0.25% were obtained using a C4D electrophoresis headstage with similar measurement volume. The required total sample and reagent volumes were ~ 500 µL for the low volume planar membrane gas exchange cell. In contrast, previous conductivity-based DIC analysis systems required total volumes between 5000 and 10,000 µL. Long membrane tubes and macroscopic wire electrodes were avoided by incorporating a planar membrane (PDMS) in the gas exchange cell, and by sputter deposition of Ti/Au electrodes directly onto a thermoplastic (PMMA) manifold. Future performance improvements will address membrane chemical and mechanical stability, further volume reduction, and component integration into a single manifold.
On the calibration of rotational augmentation models for wind turbine load estimation by means of CFD simulations
Authors: Burgos Tafur Belen Soledad , Daniele Elia , Stoevesandt Bernhard , Thomas Philipp
Published: April 2020

In this work the improved version of an engineering model which accounts for rotational augmentation effects by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calibration is explored and discussed. Based on an analysis of the NREL Phase VI wind turbine, the novel modeling is presented, which uses as base line the formulation proposed by Chaviaropoulos and Hansen. The model is calibrated based on CFD simulations using OpenFOAM. The corresponding correction of the two dimensional polars is straightforward implemented within MoWiT, an in-house software for load calculation. The novel formulation results in improved lift and drag coefficients prediction in all considered cases, reducing the deviation with respect to the rotating CFD cases down to few percent. The optimal configuration including the correction for tip effects of Shen shows better agreements at the very tip of the blade. Furthermore the range of applicability for large wind turbine rotor blades based on a virtual$$10\,\hbox {MW}$$10MWrotor model is discussed.
BCL-2 family deregulation in colorectal cancer: potential for BH3 mimetics in therapy
Authors: Ramesh Prashanthi , Medema Jan Paul
Published: April 2020

Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death that is essential for tissue homeostasis. De-regulation of the balance between proliferation and apoptosis contributes to tumor initiation. Particularly in the colon where apoptosis is a crucial process in intestinal turnover, inhibition of apoptosis facilitates transformation and tumor progression. The BCL-2 family of proteins are key regulators of apoptosis and have been implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation, progression and resistance to therapy. In this review we outline the current knowledge on the BCL-2 family-regulated intrinsic apoptosis pathway and mechanisms by which it is de-regulated in CRC. We further review BH3 mimetics as a therapeutic opportunity to target this pathway and evaluate their potential for CRC treatment.
Conditionals As Representative Inferences
Authors: van Rooij Robert , Schulz Katrin
Published: April 2020

According to Adams (Inquiry 8:166–197, 1965), the acceptability of an indicative conditional goes with the conditional probability of the consequent given the antecedent. However, some conditionals seem to be inappropriate, although their corresponding conditional probability is high. These are cases with a missing link between antecedent and consequent. Other conditionals are appropriate even though the conditional probability is low. Finally, we have the so-called biscuit conditionals. In this paper we will generalize analyses of Douven (Synthese 164:19–44, 2008) and others to account for the appropriateness of conditionals in terms of evidential support. Our generalization involves making use ofValue, or intensity. We will show how this generalization helps to account for biscuit conditionals and conditional threats and promises. Finally, a link is established between this analysis of conditionals and an analysis of generic sentences.
A moving finite element framework for fast infiltration in nonlinear poroelastic media
Authors: Rahrah Menel , Vermolen Fred
Published: April 2020

Poroelasticity theory can be used to analyse the coupled interaction between fluid flow and porous media (matrix) deformation. The classical theory of linear poroelasticity captures this coupling by combining Terzaghi’s effective stress with a linear continuity equation. Linear poroelasticity is a good model for very small deformations; however, it becomes less accurate for moderate to large deformations. On the other hand, the theory of large-deformation poroelasticity combines Terzaghi’s effective stress with a nonlinear continuity equation. In this paper, we present a finite element solver for linear and nonlinear poroelasticity problems on triangular meshes based on the displacement-pressure two-field model. We then compare the predictions of linear poroelasticity with those of large-deformation poroelasticity in the context of a two-dimensional model problem where flow through elastic, saturated porous media, under applied mechanical oscillations, is considered. In addition, the impact of introducing a deformation-dependent permeability according to the Kozeny-Carman equation is explored. We computationally show that the errors in the displacement and pressure fields that are obtained using the linear poroelasticity are primarily due to the lack of the kinematic nonlinearity. Furthermore, the error in the pressure field is amplified by incorporating a constant permeability rather than a deformation-dependent permeability.
Cognitive Vulnerability in the Context of Panic: Assessment of Panic-Related Associations and Interpretations in Individuals with Varying Levels of Anxiety Sensitivity
Authors: Zahler Lisa , Sommer Katharina , Reinecke Andrea , Wilhelm Frank H. , Margraf Jürgen , Woud Marcella L.
Published: April 2020

Background

Cognitive models of panic disorder (PD) highlight the role of panic-related associations and interpretations. However, results are mixed and rely on specific measures. This study examined panic-related associations and interpretations using established and new paradigms in individuals varying on anxiety sensitivity (AS).

Methods

Associations were measured using a priming task and a novel Single Target Implicit Association Test (STIAT); interpretations were assessed using the Interpretation Bias Questionnaire (IBQ) and a novel Scrambled Sentences Task (SST). Symptoms were assessed via a provocation task (Straw Breathing Task, SBT).

Results

Panic-related interpretations correlated with AS and other PD-related measures. Of the association tasks, only the priming task correlated with one of the other PD-related measures. Panic-related interpretations assessed via the SST, but not priming, STIAT, and IBQ, predicted SBT reactivity. The relationship between AS and SBT reactivity was mediated by panic-related interpretations.

Conclusions

Our data provide support for panic-related interpretations as an important cognitive mechanism.
A new parallel fuzzy data envelopment analysis model for parallel systems with two components based on Stackelberg game theory
Authors: Shi Xiao , Emrouznejad Ali , Jin Minyue , Yang Feng
Published: April 2020

This paper investigates the problem of efficiency measurement for parallel systems with two components based on Stackelberg game theory, while some inputs/outputs are fuzzy numbers. Conventional DEA models treat DMUs as “Black Boxes”. While in this paper, we propose a new parallel fuzzy DEA model to calculate the efficiency scores for each DMU’s whole system and its sub-systems. Through the Stackelberg (leader–follower) game theory, the whole system’s efficiency score of each DMU is decomposed into a set of efficiency scores for its sub-systems. This approach is independent of the $$ \alpha $$
α
-cut which reduces the computational efforts. In order to show our method, we use the data from Beasley (J Oper Res Soc 46(4):441–452, 1995) to measure the fuzzy efficiency of the teaching and research efficiencies of chemistry departments in UK universities.
The transverse aortic constriction heart failure animal model: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bosch Lena , de Haan Judith J. , Bastemeijer Marissa , van der Burg Jennifer , van der Worp Erik , Wesseling Marian , Viola Margarida , Odille Clémene , el Azzouzi Hamid , Pasterkamp Gerard , Sluijter Joost P.G. , Wever Kimberley E. , de Jager Saskia C.A.
Published: April 2020

The transverse aortic constriction (TAC) model is frequently used to study adverse cardiac remodeling upon pressure overload. We set out to define the most important characteristics that define the degree of cardiac remodeling in this model. A systematic review and meta-analyses were performed on studies using the TAC mouse/rat model and reporting echocardiographic outcome parameters. We included all animal studies in which a constriction around the transverse aorta and at least one of the predefined echocardiography or MRI outcome parameters were assessed. A total of 502 articles and > 3000 wild-type, untreated animals undergoing TAC were included in this study and referenced to a control group. The duration of aortic constriction correlated to the degree of adverse remodeling. However, the mouse data is strongly biased by the preferential use of male C57Bl/6 mice (66% of studies). Furthermore, mostly ketamine/xylazine anesthetics, 27G needle constriction, and silk sutures are used. Nonetheless, despite the homogeneity in experimental design, the model contained a substantial degree of heterogeneity in the functional outcome measures. When looking at study quality, only 12% reported randomization, 23% mentioned any sort of blinding, 25% adequately addressed the outcomes, and an amazingly low percentage (2%) showed sample size calculation. Meta-analyses did not detect specific study characteristics that explained the heterogeneity in the reported outcome measures, however this might be related to the strong bias towards the use of specific mouse lines, sex as well as age or to poor reporting of characteristics of study quality.
How the partial-slip boundary condition can influence the interpretation of the DLS and NTA data
Authors: Zhdanov Vladimir P.
Published: April 2020

Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) are widely used to determine the size of biological nanoparticles in liquid. In both cases, one first measures the nanoparticle diffusion coefficient and then converts it to the nanoparticle radius via the Stokes-Einstein relation. This relation is based on the no-slip boundary condition. Now, there is evidence that this condition can be violated in biologically relevant cases (e.g., for vesicles) and that in such situations the partial-slip boundary condition is more suitable. I show (i) how the latter condition can be employed in the context of DLS and NTA and (ii) that the use of the former condition may result in underestimation of the nanoparticle radius by about 10 nm compared with the nominal one.
A review of advances in the preparation and application of polyaniline based thermoset blends and composites
Authors: Bhadra Jolly , Alkareem Asma , Al-Thani Noora
Published: April 2020

For several decades, forming blend and composite of polyaniline (PANI) with insulating polymers has been a widely studied research area because of the potential applications of such blends, which have a unique combination of mechanical properties, the processability of conventional polymers and the electrical property of conducting polymers. The current review paper will emphasize PANI composites or blends with thermosetting polymer matrices. The enhanced electro-mechanical properties of the blends and composites depend on the uniform dispersion of the PANI particle in polymer matrix. Therefore, considerable studies have focused on improving the distribution of PANI particles within the thermoset matrices. In this review paper, all the parameters and conditions that influence the surface morphology and application of PANI thermoset blends and composites will be described systematically. Recent progress on PANI based thermoset system with multifunctional ternary composites research will be highlighted in this paper. Furthermore, encouraging applications of different PANI thermoset composites and blends are discussed, such as flame-retardant materials, lightning damage suppression, metal ion removal, anticorrosive coating, electromagnetic shielding, conductive adhesives, and sensing materials.
Conceptualizing consultation approaches: identifying combinations of consultation tools and analyzing their implications for stakeholder diversity
Authors: Fraussen Bert , Albareda Adrià , Braun Caelesta
Published: April 2020

Contemporary governance is increasingly characterized by the consultation of different types of stakeholders, such as interest groups representing economic and citizen interests, as well as public and private institutions, such as public authorities and firms. Previous research has demonstrated that public officials use a variety of tools to involve these actors in policymaking. Yet, we have limited knowledge on how particular consultation approaches relate to stakeholder participation. To what extent do open, closed and hybrid consultation approaches, with the first two, respectively, referring to the use of public and targeted tools, and the third one implying a combination of both of them, relate to the policy engagement of a different set of stakeholders? In this paper, we identify the different tools used by the European Commission to engage stakeholders in policymaking and assess how variation in consultation approaches relates to stakeholder participation via a descriptive and multivariate analysis. We rely on two datasets: a regulatory database that contains detailed information on 41 EU regulations and a stakeholder database that comprises 2617 stakeholders that were involved in these regulations through different consultation tools. Our main finding is that implementing different consultation approaches affects stakeholder diversity. Specifically, closed consultation approaches lead to a lower level of business dominance than hybrid approaches that combine open and targeted consultation tools.
Differential annotation of converted metabolites (DAC-Met): Exploration of Maoto (Ma-huang-tang)-derived metabolites in plasma using high-resolution mass spectrometry
Authors: Ohbuchi Katsuya , Sakurai Nozomu , Kitagawa Hiroyuki , Sato Masaru , Suzuki Hideyuki , Kushida Hirotaka , Nishi Akinori , Yamamoto Masahiro , Hanazaki Kazuhiro , Arita Masanori
Published: April 2020

Introduction

Traditional herbal medicine (THM) contains a vast number of natural compounds with varying degrees of pharmacological activity. To elucidate the mode of action, comprehensive metabolite profiling in the plasma before and after administration of THM is essential.

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore and identify/annotate converted metabolites after administration of THM in humans.

Methods

We performed untargeted metabolome analysis of human plasma collected before and after administration of maoto (ma-huang-tang), a traditional Japanese Kampo medicine. Maoto-derived metabolites were then selected and annotated following the DAC-Met strategy, which is an annotation method that uses mass differences of major metabolic reactions among the detected peaks and a differential network analysis.

Results

About 80% of maoto-derived components were found to be converted forms. Following DAC-Met, the structures of 15 previously unidentified metabolites were determined, and five of these were later confirmed with authentic standards. Using published literature, we also reconstructed the metabolic pathway of maoto components in humans. A kinetic time-course analysis revealed their diverse kinetic profiles.

Conclusion

The results demonstrated that time-resolved comprehensive metabolite profiling in plasma using the DAC-Met strategy is highly useful for elucidating the complex nature of THM.
Sleep apnea syndrome comorbid with and without restless legs syndrome: differences in insomnia specific symptoms
Authors: Pistorius Franziska , Geisler Peter , Wetter Thomas C. , Crönlein Tatjana
Published: April 2020

Objective

Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) is frequently comorbid with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). Both disorders are associated with disturbed sleep. However, data about insomnia specific symptoms in patients suffering from both sleep disorders (SAS-RLS) are rare.

Methods

In a restrospective design, we investigated 202 patients suffering from SAS and SAS-RLS. All patients underwent polysomnography, performed a vigilance test (Quatember-Maly), and completed the Regensburg Insomnia Scale (RIS), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and a Morning Questionnaire (FZN). Differences in insomnia specific symptoms between SAS and SAS-RLS were calculated using ANOVA. In a secondary analysis, the differences in daytime sleepiness and depression were analyzed.

Results

Of 202 patients, 42 (21%) had SAS-RLS. The proportion of women (60%) with SASRLS was higher than for men (40%) while men had had a higher proportion (71%) of SAS alone compared to women (29%), p < 0.0005. The RIS score was higher in SAS-RLS than in SAS. No differences were found in PSG data, ESS, BDI-II, or vigilance tests.

Conclusions

Patients with both disorders SAS and RLS show a higher degree of insomnia-specific symptoms than for SAS alone and may profit from additional insomnia specific treatment.
Ozonation of carbamazepine and its main transformation products: product determination and reaction mechanisms
Authors: Kråkström Matilda , Saeid Soudabeh , Tolvanen Pasi , Kumar Narendra , Salmi Tapio , Kronberg Leif , Eklund Patrik
Published: April 2020

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a recalcitrant pharmaceutical often detected in wastewater and in the environment. CBZ can be removed from wastewater through advanced oxidation treatment methods such as ozonation. In this study, CBZ and its transformation product 1-(2-benzaldehyde)-(1H,3H)-quinazoline-2,4-dione (BQD) were ozonated, and the formation and transformation of their ozonation products were investigated using liquid chromatography coupled to ion trap mass spectrometry and high-resolution mass spectrometry as well as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The main products, 1-(2-benzaldehyde)-4-hydro-(1H,3H)-quinazoline-2-one (BQM) and BQD were quantified using isolated standards and LC-UV. Of the original CBZ concentration, 74% was transformed into BQM and 83% of BQM was further transformed into BQD. Both products are more stable than CBZ and could still be detected after 240 min of ozonation. Another major product, 2,2′-azanediyldibenzaldehyde (TP225) was for the first time identified using NMR. Twelve further CBZ products were identified.
Performative entrepreneurship: identity, behaviour and place in adventure sports Enterprise
Authors: Dobson Stephen , McLuskie Pete
Published: April 2020

This research explores entrepreneurial identity and place in adventure sports within the emerging field of sports entrepreneurship. A growing body of literature has established the broad parameters of sports entrepreneurs mainly within the fitness sector. This study applies a performative entrepreneurship lens to explore the embedded nature of identity, behaviour and place amongst mountain bike (MTB) trainers and guides. This qualitative study is based around interviews with six trainers/guides conducted via online forums as well as participatory observations made on a group ride and of a communal response to the natural environment through trail building. Findings illustrate that unlike the fitness sector where there is a more established market and where entrepreneurs often move from employment to self-employment within the sector, the MTB adventure sports entrepreneur operates in a less formalised market resulting in less formal strategic planning. ‘Place’ is an important factor in the performative nature of enterprise in this study and it is clear that it is through lifestyle entrepreneurship that the individuals are ‘performing’ identity.
Correction to: Crowding out the change: business networks and persisting economic elites in the South of Italy over Unification (1840–1880)
Authors: Schisani Maria Carmela , Balletta Luigi , Ragozini Giancarlo
Published: April 2020

The article Crowding out the change: business networks and persisting economic elites in the South of Italy over Unification.
Modelling Human Locomotion to Inform Exercise Prescription for Osteoporosis
Authors: Martelli Saulo , Beck Belinda , Saxby David , Lloyd David , Pivonka Peter , Taylor Mark
Published: April 2020

Purpose of Review

We review the literature on hip fracture mechanics and models of hip strain during exercise to postulate the exercise regimen for best promoting hip strength.

Recent Findings

The superior neck is a common location for hip fracture and a relevant exercise target for osteoporosis. Current modelling studies showed that fast walking and stair ambulation, but not necessarily running, optimally load the femoral neck and therefore theoretically would mitigate the natural age-related bone decline, being easily integrated into routine daily activity. High intensity jumps and hopping have been shown to promote anabolic response by inducing high strain in the superior anterior neck. Multidirectional exercises may cause beneficial non-habitual strain patterns across the entire femoral neck. Resistance knee flexion and hip extension exercises can induce high strain in the superior neck when performed using maximal resistance loadings in the average population.

Exercise can stimulate an anabolic response of the femoral neck either by causing higher than normal bone strain over the entire hip region or by causing bending of the neck and localized strain in the superior cortex. Digital technologies have enabled studying interdependences between anatomy, bone distribution, exercise, strain and metabolism and may soon enable personalized prescription of exercise for optimal hip strength.
A world fit for money laundering: the Atlantic alliance’s undermining of organized crime control
Authors: Young Mary Alice , Woodiwiss Michael
Published: April 2020

This is the untold history of how prominent civil servants in the UK tailored US-devised anti-money laundering (AML) policies in ways that suited the needs of Britain’s financial services industry. In the aftermath of these initial compromises in 1987, criminal money managers in both the US and the UK were able to continue to operate in an environment that easily allowed them to hide and use dirty money. The researchers analysed six months of previously unseen personal correspondence and documents exchanged between various actors in the UK Government during 1987. From this they conclude that the core of the current, global AML regime, was not the destruction of drug money laundering and banking secrecy, nor the ending of criminal financial enablers and with it hot money; rather it was the protection and leverage of national trading interests on both sides of the Atlantic. And the drive to protect these interests would see crime control laws made, amended and changed to cater for the interests of the US and UK banking and finance industries. The file had been classified as secret and held by the UK Treasury until it was released to the public in 2017 as an archive document transferred to The National Archives in accordance with The Public Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
Appearance of Experience as Form and Process
Authors: Paulsen Mårten Kae
Published: April 2020

Theories of experience guide an understanding of how people’s conceptions of physical objects, events, and ideas are structured and organized. This article reviews how experience is understood as a phenomenon, a concept, and a category of phenomenology, pragmatics, and the experiential learning theory. Based on the review, the article discusses how existing theories of experience appear as static in a systemic view and are enriched when a dynamic view is added. The phenomenon of experience is analyzed as structured in recursive interactions between form and process in four layers, namely attention in sensing, categorization in perceiving, meaning in reflecting, and transformation in creating.