bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polyethylene glycol-coated collagen patch (hemopatch®) in open partial nephrectomy
Authors: Staehler Michael , Rodler S. , Schott M. , Casuscelli J. , Stief C. , Spek A. , Schlenker B.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

To describe the results of a polyethylene glycol-coated collagen patch, Hemopatch® on blood loss, surgical time and renal function in partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods

Out of a single surgeon cohort of n = 565 patients undergoing conventional open PN (CPN) between 01/2015 and 12/2017 at the University of Munich a consecutive subgroup (n = 42) was operated on using a polyethylene glycol-coated collagen-based sealant Hemopatch® (Baxter International Inc., Deerfield, IL, USA) (HPN).

Results

Median age was 65.2 years (range 12.7–95.2) with median follow-up of 9.43 months (0.03–49.15). Baseline renal function (CKD-EPI) was 78.56 ml/min/1.73 m2 (range 20.38–143.09) with a non-significant decline to 74.78 ml/min/1.73 m2 (range 3.75–167.74) at follow-up.

In CPN 46% had low complexity, 33% moderate complexity and 20% high complexity lesions with 33% low, 40% moderate and 27% high complexity masses in HPN.

Median tumor size was 4.3 cm (range 1–38 cm) in CPN with 4.8 cm (range 3.8–18.3 cm) with HPN, p = 0.293. Median blood loss and duration of surgery was significantly lower in the HPN group vs. CPN (146 ml ± 195 vs. 114 ml ± 159 ml; p = 0.021; 43 min ± 27 for HPN vs. 53 min ± 49; p = 0.035) with no difference in clamping time (12.6 min ± 8.6 for HPN vs. 12.0 min ± 9.5; p = 0.701).

Conclusions

Hemopatch® supported renoraphy shows promising results compared to standard renoraphy in PN. No side effects were seen. Further studies should evaluate the prevention of arterio-venous or urinary fistulas. In complex partial nephrectomies Hemopatch® supported renoraphy should be considered.
SuperPath approach is a recommendable option in frail patients with femoral neck fractures: a case–control study
Authors: Cecere Antonio Benedetto , De Cicco Annalisa , Bruno Gaetano , Toro Giuseppe , Errico Giacomo , Braile Adriano , Schiavone Panni Alfredo
Published: September 2021

Introduction

The treatment of intracapsular femoral neck fractures (FNFs) in the elderly is usually based on hip replacement, both total hip arthroplasty (THA) and hemiarthroplasty (HA). Recently, several tissue-sparing approaches for hip arthroplasty had been described with promising results in terms of hospitalization length, blood loss and dislocation rate. The aim of the present study was to compare the blood loss and the transfusion rate in a cohort of patients with FNF treated using an HA through both the SuperPath (SP) and the traditional posterolateral (PL) approaches.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively collected data from patients affected by FNFs between January 2018 and February 2020. All patients with intracapsular FNF treated with a single HA implant (Profemur L, MicroPort Orthopedics Inc., USA) via PL or SP approaches were included. Exclusion criteria were pathological fractures, polytrauma and preoperatively transfused patients.

Results

Thirty-five patients were included and analysed in the present study. 17 patients were classified in the SP group, and 18 in the PL one. The rate of antithrombotic therapy was higher in the SP group compared with the PL group [10 (58, 82%) vs 4 (22, 2%)]. While the two groups did not differ in terms of preoperative haemoglobin (Hb), 48 h postoperative Hb and Hb reduction, a significative difference was observed in terms of blood transfusion rate (1 SP vs 9 PL, p = 0.0072).

Conclusions

The SuperPath approach in patients with FNF under antithrombotic therapy assures lower transfusion rate, potentially reducing complication rates and improving patients' outcomes.
A retrospective study on long-term efficacy of intranasal lysine-aspirin in controlling NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease
Authors: Pendolino Alfonso Luca , Scadding Glenis K. , Scarpa Bruno , Andrews Peter J.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Aspirin treatment after desensitization (ATAD) represents an effective therapeutic option suitable for NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD) patients with recalcitrant disease. Intranasal administration of lysine-aspirin (LAS) has been suggested as a safer and faster route than oral ATAD but evidence for its use is less strong. We investigated nasal LAS therapy long-term efficacy based on objective outcomes, smell function, polyp recurrence and need for surgery or rescue therapy. Clinical biomarkers predicting response to intranasal LAS, long-term side effects and consequences of discontinuing treatment have been evaluated.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of a database of 60 N-ERD patients seen between 2012 and 2020 was performed in March 2021. They were followed up at 3-months, 1-, 2- and 3-years with upper and lower airway functions assessed at each follow-up.

Results

Higher nasal airflow and smell scores were found at each follow-up in patients taking LAS (p < 0.001 and p = 0.048 respectively). No influence of LAS on pulmonary function measurements was observed. Patient on intranasal LAS showed a lower rate of revision sinus surgery when compared to those who discontinued the treatment (p < 0.001). None of the variables studied was found to influence LAS treatment response.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates the clinical effectiveness of long-term intranasal LAS in the management of N-ERD in terms of improved nasal airflow and olfaction and a reduced need for revision sinus surgery. Intranasal LAS is safe, being associated with a lower rate of side effects when compared to oral ATAD. However, discontinuation of the treatment at any stage is associated with a loss of clinical benefit.
Interobserver variation in the classification of tumor deposits in rectal cancer—is the use of histopathological characteristics the way to go?
Authors: Brouwer Nelleke P. M. , Lord A. C. , Terlizzo M. , Bateman A. C. , West N. P. , Goldin R. , Martinez A. , Wong N. A. C. S. , Novelli M. , Nagtegaal I. D. , Brown G.
Published: September 2021

The focus on lymph node metastases (LNM) as the most important prognostic marker in colorectal cancer (CRC) has been challenged by the finding that other types of locoregional spread, including tumor deposits (TDs), extramural venous invasion (EMVI), and perineural invasion (PNI), also have significant impact. However, there are concerns about interobserver variation when differentiating between these features. Therefore, this study analyzed interobserver agreement between pathologists when assessing routine tumor nodules based on TNM 8. Electronic slides of 50 tumor nodules that were not treated with neoadjuvant therapy were reviewed by 8 gastrointestinal pathologists. They were asked to classify each nodule as TD, LNM, EMVI, or PNI, and to list which histological discriminatory features were present. There was overall agreement of 73.5% (κ 0.38, 95%-CI 0.33–0.43) if a nodal versus non-nodal classification was used, and 52.2% (κ 0.27, 95%-CI 0.23–0.31) if EMVI and PNI were classified separately. The interobserver agreement varied significantly between discriminatory features from κ 0.64 (95%-CI 0.58–0.70) for roundness to κ 0.26 (95%-CI 0.12–0.41) for a lone arteriole sign, and the presence of discriminatory features did not always correlate with the final classification. Since extranodal pathways of spread are prognostically relevant, classification of tumor nodules is important. There is currently no evidence for the prognostic relevance of the origin of TD, and although some histopathological characteristics showed good interobserver agreement, these are often non-specific. To optimize interobserver agreement, we recommend a binary classification of nodal versus extranodal tumor nodules which is based on prognostic evidence and yields good overall agreement.
Improved outcome in children compared to adolescents and young adults after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant for acute myeloid leukemia: a retrospective study from the Francophone Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy (SFGM-TC)
Authors: Pochon Cécile , Detrait Marie , Dalle Jean-Hugues , Michel Gérard , Dhédin Nathalie , Chalandon Yves , Brissot Eolia , Forcade Edouard , Sirvent Anne , Izzadifar-Legrand Faezeh , Michallet Mauricette , Renard Cécile , Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim , Gonzales Fanny , Bay Jacques-Olivier , Kanold Justyna , Cornillon Jérome , Bulabois Claude Eric , Angoso Marie , Nguyen Stéphanie , Balza Marie , Chevallier Patrice , Rialland Fanny , Bazarbachi Ali , Beguin Yves , Huynh Anne , Ménard Anne-Lise , Schneider Pascale , Neven Bénédicte , Paillard Catherine , Raus Nicole , Albuisson Eliane , Remen Thomas , Rubio Marie-Thérèse
Published: September 2021

Background

There are currently few data on the outcome of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adolescents after allogeneic HSCT. The aim of this study is to describe the outcome and its specific risk factors for children, adolescents and young adults after a first allogeneic HSCT for AML.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we compared the outcome of AML patients receiving a first allogeneic HSCT between 2005 and 2017 according to their age at transplantation’s time: children (< 15 years, n = 564), adolescent and post-adolescent (APA) patients (15–25 years, n = 647) and young adults (26–40 years; n = 1434).

Results

With a median follow-up of 4.37 years (min–max 0.18–14.73 years), the probability of 2-year overall survival (OS) was 71.4% in children, 61.1% in APA patients and 62.9% in young adults (p = 0.0009 for intergroup difference). Both relapse and non-relapse mortality (NRM) Cumulative Incidence (CI) estimated at 2 years were different between the age groups (30.8% for children, 35.2% for APA patients and 29.4% for young adults—p = 0.0254, and 7.0% for children, 10.6% for APA patients and 14.2% for young adults, p < 0.0001; respectively). Whilst there was no difference between the three groups for grade I to IV acute GVHD CI at 3 months, the chronic GVHD CI at 2 years was higher in APA patients and young adults (31.4% and 36.4%, respectively) in comparison to the children (17.5%) (p < 0.0001). In multivariable analysis, factors associated with death were AML cytogenetics (HR1.73 [1.29–2.32] for intermediate risk 1, HR 1.50 [1.13–2.01] for intermediate risk 2, HR 2.22 [1.70–2.89] for high cytogenetics risk compared to low risk), use of TBI ≥ 8 Grays (HR 1.33 [1.09–1.61]), disease status at transplant (HR 1.40 [1.10–1.78] for second Complete Remission (CR), HR 2.26 [1.02–4.98] for third CR and HR 3.07 [2.44–3.85] for active disease, compared to first CR), graft source (HR 1.26 [1.05–1.50] for Peripheral Blood Stem Cells compared to Bone Marrow) and donor age (HR 1.01 (1–1.02] by increase of 1 year).

Conclusion

Age is an independent risk factor for NRM and extensive chronic GVHD. This study suggests that APA patients with AML could be beneficially treated with a chemotherapy-based MAC regimen and bone marrow as a stem cells source.
The pericardium of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata, Appendicularia) contains two distinct cell types and is rotated by 90 degrees to the left
Authors: Le Mai-Lee Van , Novosolov Maria , Huchon Dorothee , Stach Thomas
Published: September 2021

The planktonic Oikopleura dioica belongs to Tunicata, the probable sister taxon to Craniota, and might show plesiomorphic characters, conserved from the common lineage of Tunicata and Craniota. In O. dioica a pericardium in a position similar to other chordates but also to the heart and pericardium of craniates is found. Surprisingly, little is known about the ultrastructure of the pericardium in O. dioica. Here, we show based on electron microscopy that the pericardium is completely lined by a single layer of 16 epithelial cells: 6 epithelial myocardial cells on the left side of the pericardium and 10 peritoneal cells constituting the right side. One of the peritoneal cells, situated at the ventral border between peritoneal cells and myocardial cells has an extension that anchors the pericardium to the basal lamina beneath the latero-ventral epidermis. The primary body cavity of O. dioica appears quite uniformly clear in electron microscopic aspect but several sheets, resembling the basal lamina of the pericardium cross the larger spaces of the body cavity and connect to the pericardial basal lamina. This is the first detailed description of two distinct cell types in the epithelial lining of the pericardium of O. dioica. In comparison with other chordates, we conclude that two cell types can be reconstructed for the last common ancestor of Chordata at least. The position of the pericardium at the intersection of trunk and tail in combination with the basal-lamina like sheets spanning the hemocoel is probably of importance for the function of the circulation of the hemocoelic fluid. Similar to the tail, the axis of the pericardium is shifted through 90 degrees to the left as compared to the main body axis of the trunk and we infer that this shift is an apomorphic character of Appendicularia.
To get sick or not to get sick—Trichomonas infections in two Accipiter species from Germany
Authors: Merling de Chapa Manuela , Auls Susanne , Kenntner Norbert , Krone Oliver
Published: September 2021

Trichomonosis caused by the flagellateTrichomonas gallinaeis one of the most important avian diseases worldwide. The parasite is localised in the oesophageal area of its host and mainly infects pigeon and dove species. During the last decade, a host expansion to passerine birds occurred, making the disease a potential threat for passerine predators as naïve host species. Here, we investigated the effect of the parasite on twoAccipiterspecies in Germany which show a comparable lifestyle but differ in prey choice, the Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) mainly hunting pigeons and the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) mainly feeding on passerines. We genetically identified the parasite strains using the Fe-Hydrogenase gene as marker locus and compared the incidence of parasite presence and clinical signs of trichomonosis between nestlings of the twoAccipiterspecies. In total, we identified 14 strains, with nine strains unknown so far. There was a higher strain diversity and prevalence ofTrichomonasspp. in goshawks than sparrowhawks (42.4% vs. 21.2%) whereas sparrowhawks when being infected more often displayed clinical signs of trichomonosis than goshawks (37.1% vs. 6.1%). Even though sparrowhawks were mainly infected with the finch epidemic strain and genetic data indicated some variation between isolates, no correlation with virulence could be detected. All in all, goshawks seem to be better adapted toTrichomonas infections, whereas to sparrowhawks, this is a novel disease with more severe manifestations, from individual morbidity to a higher risk of population decline caused by trichomonosis.
Nutrigenetic variants and response to diet/lifestyle intervention in obese subjects: a pilot study
Authors: Franzago Marica , Di Nicola Marta , Fraticelli Federica , Marchioni Michele , Stuppia Liborio , Vitacolonna Ester
Published: September 2021

Aims

Nutritional and lifestyle interventions can contribute to prevent and treat obesity and its complications; however, genetic background may influence the success of a therapy. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the effects of the interaction between nutrigenetic variants and nutritional intervention, as well as the changes in clinical parameters and the adherence to Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and to physical activity, of 18 overweight or obese subjects affected by T2D or dysglycemia included in a nutritional program.

Methods

The subjects’ clinical parameters as well as their PREDIMED score and physical activity levels were recorded and compared at baseline, at 6 months and at the end of the intervention. Rs9939609 inFTO, rs17782313 nearMC4R, rs326 inLPL, rs16147 inNPY, rs2943641 nearIRS-1were genotyped.

Results

The subjects carrying theAallele inFTOlost less weight (p = 0.022) and had a lower BMI decrease from baseline to 12 months (p-interaction = 0.047) thanTTcarriers. In addition, there was a significant PREDIMED score modification over time, according to genotypes forFTOrs9939609 (p = 0.025) andNPYrs16147 (p = 0.039), respectively.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings show a significant interaction between genetic variants and the PREDIMED score, suggesting that individuals carrying theFTOvariant may lose less weight than non-carriers through diet/lifestyle intervention.
Analyzing the surface of functional nanomaterials—how to quantify the total and derivatizable number of functional groups and ligands
Authors: Geißler Daniel , Nirmalananthan-Budau Nithiya , Scholtz Lena , Tavernaro Isabella , Resch-Genger Ute
Published: September 2021

Functional nanomaterials (NM) of different size, shape, chemical composition, and surface chemistry are of increasing relevance for many key technologies of the twenty-first century. This includes polymer and silica or silica-coated nanoparticles (NP) with covalently bound surface groups, semiconductor quantum dots (QD), metal and metal oxide NP, and lanthanide-based NP with coordinatively or electrostatically bound ligands, as well as surface-coated nanostructures like micellar encapsulated NP. The surface chemistry can significantly affect the physicochemical properties of NM, their charge, their processability and performance, as well as their impact on human health and the environment. Thus, analytical methods for the characterization of NM surface chemistry regarding chemical identification, quantification, and accessibility of functional groups (FG) and surface ligands bearing such FG are of increasing importance for quality control of NM synthesis up to nanosafety. Here, we provide an overview of analytical methods for FG analysis and quantification with special emphasis on bioanalytically relevant FG broadly utilized for the covalent attachment of biomolecules like proteins, peptides, and oligonucleotides and address method- and material-related challenges and limitations. Analytical techniques reviewed include electrochemical titration methods, optical assays, nuclear magnetic resonance and vibrational spectroscopy, as well as X-ray based and thermal analysis methods, covering the last 5–10 years. Criteria for method classification and evaluation include the need for a signal-generating label, provision of either the total or derivatizable number of FG, need for expensive instrumentation, and suitability for process and production control during NM synthesis and functionalization.

Graphical abstract
Impacts of climate change and rising atmospheric CO2 on future projected reference evapotranspiration in Emilia-Romagna (Italy)
Authors: Ben Hamouda Ghaieth , Tomozeiu Rodica , Pavan Valentina , Antolini Gabriele , Snyder Richard L. , Ventura Francesca
Published: September 2021

The continuous increase of atmospheric CO2content mainly due to anthropogenic CO2emissions is causing a rise in temperature on earth, altering the hydrological and meteorological processes and affecting crop physiology. Evapotranspiration is an important component of the hydrological cycle. Thus, understanding the change in evapotranspiration due to global warming is essential for better water resources planning and management and agricultural production. In this study, the effect of climate change with a focus on the combined effect of temperature and elevated CO2concentrations on reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was evaluated using the Penman–Monteith equation. A EURO-CORDEX regional climate model (RCM) ensemble was used to estimate ETo in five locations in the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy) during the period 2021–2050. Then, its projected changes in response to different CO2concentrations (i.e., 372 ppm and 550 ppm) under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios (i.e., RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) were analyzed. Simulation results with both scenarios, without increasing CO2levels (372 ppm), showed that the annual and summertime ETo for all locations increased by an average of 4 to 5.4% with regard to the reference period 1981–2005, for an increase of air temperature by 1 to 1.5 °C. When the effect of elevated CO2levels (550 ppm) was also considered in combination with projected changes in temperature, changes in both annual and summer ETo demand for all locations varied from − 1.1 to 2.2% during the 2021–2050 period with regard to the reference period 1981–2005. This shows that higher CO2levels moderated the increase in ETo that accompanies an increase in air temperature.
Energy conservation under extreme energy limitation: the role of cytochromes and quinones in acetogenic bacteria
Authors: Rosenbaum Florian P. , Müller Volker
Published: September 2021

Acetogenic bacteria are a polyphyletic group of organisms that fix carbon dioxide under anaerobic, non-phototrophic conditions by reduction of two mol of CO2 to acetyl-CoA via the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway. This pathway also allows for lithotrophic growth with H2 as electron donor and this pathway is considered to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest metabolic pathway on Earth for CO2 reduction, since it is coupled to the synthesis of ATP. How ATP is synthesized has been an enigma for decades, but in the last decade two ferredoxin-dependent respiratory chains were discovered. Those respiratory chains comprise of a cytochrome-free, ferredoxin-dependent respiratory enzyme complex, which is either the Rnf or Ech complex. However, it was discovered already 50 years ago that some acetogens contain cytochromes and quinones, but their role had only a shadowy existence. Here, we review the literature on the characterization of cytochromes and quinones in acetogens and present a hypothesis that they may function in electron transport chains in addition to Rnf and Ech.
Bennu and Ryugu: diamonds in the sky
Authors: Sabuwala Tapan , Chakraborty Pinaki , Shinbrot Troy
Published: September 2021

Rapidly spinning and loosely aggregated asteroids appear to take on diamond-shaped profiles, with elevated poles as well as equators. The evolutionary processes that form these characteristic shapes remain a matter of debate. In this paper, we propose a novel model, based on debris accretion, to explain these diamond-shaped profiles. We derive an analytic expression for the shapes of such rapidly spinning rubble piles based on the principle that as rubble is deposited it assumes a critical angle of repose. We show that this expression correctly reproduces diamond shaped profiles. We also conduct granular simulations of debris deposition and show that simulated shapes are in striking accord with both observations and analytical results. Our results suggest that non-uniform debris accumulation, which is overlooked in current models, may play a cardinal role in the formation of diamond-shaped asteroids.
The impact of inpatient bed capacity on length of stay
Authors: Walsh Brendan , Smith Samantha , Wren Maev-Ann , Eighan James , Lyons Seán
Published: September 2021

Objective

Large reductions in inpatient length of stay and inpatient bed supply have occurred across health systems in recent years. However, the direction of causation between length of stay and bed supply is often overlooked. This study examines the impact of changes to inpatient bed supply, as a result of recession-induced healthcare expenditure changes, on emergency inpatient length of stay in Ireland between 2010 and 2015.

Study design

We analyse all public hospital emergency inpatient discharges in Ireland from 2010 to 2015 using the administrative Hospital In-Patient Enquiry dataset. We use changes to inpatient bed supply across hospitals over time to examine the impact of bed supply on length of stay. Linear, negative binomial, and hospital–month-level fixed effects models are estimated.

Results

U-shaped trends are observed for both average length of stay and inpatient bed supply between 2010 and 2015. A consistently large positive relationship is found between bed supply and length of stay across all regression analyses. Between 2010 and 2012 while length of stay fell by 6.4%, our analyses estimate that approximately 42% (2.7% points) of this reduction was associated with declines in bed supply.

Conclusion

Changes in emergency inpatient length of stay in Ireland between 2010 and 2015 were closely related to changes in bed supply during those years. The use of length of stay as an efficiency measure should be understood in the contextual basis of other health system changes. Lower length of stay may be indicative of the lack of resources or available bed supply as opposed to reduced demand for care or the shifting of care to other settings.
Economic preferences and trade outcomes
Authors: Korff Alex , Steffen Nico
Published: September 2021

Integrating the Global Preference Survey (GPS) and its data of unique scope on national preference structures in patience, risk attitude and reciprocity into a gravity framework, this paper is the first to explore a potential influence on international trade outcomes of economic and social preferences in a unified setting. Adding to the evidence on preferences’ importance for aggregate outcomes, the authors find marked differences in trade flows and relationships, both on the country-level and between bilateral partners. Their main results suggest that countries differing in their willingness to behave negatively reciprocal tend to trade significantly less amongst each other due to the destabilizing effect of unexpected punishments. On the other hand, countries that are patient or risk-averse tend to shift towards exporting more differentiated goods as opposed to homogeneous goods and vice versa. We propose term and risk transformation considerations as the driving mechanisms for this relationship.
Drought in the forest breaks plant–fungi interactions
Authors: Boczoń Andrzej , Hilszczańska Dorota , Wrzosek Marta , Szczepkowski Andrzej , Sierota Zbigniew
Published: September 2021

Drought in the forest is not only a prolonged state of water shortage, but also an occasion where interactions between plants and fungi are affected. Water efficiency accelerates a range of pathologies in interactions between organisms, influencing the ecosystems and their interacting biological components. This study focuses on the role of mycorrhizal and endophyte fungi in alleviating the effects of soil water shortage, and on the impact of their altered activity during drought on the health of trees. The issues presented here show the fundamental role of the mycorrhizal mycelium and the mechanism of water transport to the plant in the course of other phenomena (withering, pathogenesis, endophytes biology) that occur in trees under influence of drought, with particular attention on managed coniferous stands. Conclusions resulting from published information on this topic emphasize the negative impact of soil moisture deficiency on the ectomycorrhizal fungi functioning and, in contrast, on the promotion of the growth of some endophytes, pathogens and hemi-parasitic mistletoes (Viscumspp.).
Compliance-based estimation of seismic collapse risk of an existing reinforced concrete frame building
Authors: Tsiavos Anastasios , Amrein Pascal , Bender Nathan , Stojadinovic Bozidar
Published: September 2021

Seismic evaluation of existing structures is based on determining the damage likely to occur during the lifetime of these structures due to earthquake ground motion excitation. However, there is not a consensus about the acceptable level of seismic damage, the expected lifetime of these structures, and the seismic hazard level(s) to evaluate the structures at. This paper presents a methodology for a parametric calculation of the seismic collapse risk of an existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame building based on its seismic code compliance, quantified by a dimensionless metric. This metric, defined as compliance factor, compares the seismic capacity of an existing structure with the seismic demand for a new structure at a predetermined hazard level. The inelastic seismic behavior of four models of the RC frame building of varying compliance was analytically investigated in this study to demonstrate the novel methodology. The four models of the RC building were chosen to represent existing RC frame structures designed and constructed before the introduction of modern seismic code provisions. These four building models were excited by a group of earthquake ground motion excitations using Incremental Dynamic Analysis. The collapse probabilities of the four building models, representing varying values of seismic code compliance, were determined for two different locations corresponding to regions of moderate and high seismic hazard, thus laying the basis for the compliance-based estimation of the seismic collapse risk of existing structures.
Effective Connectivity of the Hippocampus Can Differentiate Patients with Schizophrenia from Healthy Controls: A Spectral DCM Approach
Authors: Uscătescu Lavinia Carmen , Kronbichler Lisa , Stelzig-Schöler Renate , Pearce Brandy-Gale , Said-Yürekli Sarah , Reich Luise Antonia , Weber Stefanie , Aichhorn Wolfgang , Kronbichler Martin
Published: September 2021

We applied spectral dynamic causal modelling (Friston et al. in Neuroimage 94:396–407. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.12.009, 2014) to analyze the effective connectivity differences between the nodes of three resting state networks (i.e. default mode network, salience network and dorsal attention network) in a dataset of 31 male healthy controls (HC) and 25 male patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (SZ). Patients showed increased directed connectivity from the left hippocampus (LHC) to the: dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (DACC), right anterior insula (RAI), left frontal eye fields and the bilateral inferior parietal sulcus (LIPS & RIPS), as well as increased connectivity from the right hippocampus (RHC) to the: bilateral anterior insula (LAI & RAI), right frontal eye fields and RIPS. In SZ, negative symptoms predicted the connectivity strengths from the LHC to: the DACC, the left inferior parietal sulcus (LIPAR) and the RHC, while positive symptoms predicted the connectivity strengths from the LHC to the LIPAR and from the RHC to the LHC. These results reinforce the crucial role of hippocampus dysconnectivity in SZ pathology and its potential as a biomarker of disease severity.
Determinants and prognostic relevance of aortic stiffness in patients with recent ST-elevation myocardial infarction
Authors: Lechner Ivan , Reindl Martin , Tiller Christina , Holzknecht Magdalena , Niederreiter Sarah , Mayr Agnes , Klug Gert , Brenner Christoph , Bauer Axel , Metzler Bernhard , Reinstadler Sebastian Johannes
Published: September 2021

The association between aortic stiffness, cardiovascular risk factors and prognosis in patients with recent ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is poorly understood. We analyzed the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and arterial stiffening and assessed its prognostic significance in patients with recent STEMI. We prospectively enrolled 408 consecutive patients who sustained a first STEMI and underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), the most widely used measure of aortic stiffness, was determined by the transit-time method using velocity-encoded, phase-contrast cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Patient characteristics were acquired at baseline and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were assessed at 13 [interquartile range (IQR) 12–31] months. Cox regression- and logistic regression analysis were performed to explore predictors of aortic stiffness and MACCE. Median aortic PWV was 6.6 m/s (IQR 5.6–8.3 m/s). In multivariable analysis, age [odds ratio (OR) 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08–1.14, p < 0.001] and hypertension (OR 2.45, 95% CI, 1.53–3.91, p < 0.001) were independently associated with increased PWV. Sex, diabetes, smoking status, dyslipidemia, and obesity were not significantly associated with PWV in adjusted analysis (all p > 0.05). High PWV significantly and independently predicted occurrence of MACCE in adjusted analysis [hazard ratio (HR) 2.45, 95% CI 1.19–5.04, p = 0.014]. In patients with recent STEMI, the impact of classical cardiovascular risk factors on aortic stiffness is mainly dependent on age and increased blood pressure. Increased aortic stiffness is associated with adverse clinical outcome post-STEMI, suggesting it as a relevant therapeutic target in this population. Trial (NCT04113356).
Efficient identity-based encryption with Hierarchical key-insulation from HIBE
Authors: Emura Keita , Takayasu Atsushi , Watanabe Yohei
Published: September 2021

Hierarchical key-insulated identity-based encryption (HKIBE) is identity-based encryption (IBE) that allows users to update their secret keys to achieve (hierarchical) key-exposure resilience, which is an important notion in practice. However, existing HKIBE constructions have limitations in efficiency: sizes of ciphertexts and secret keys depend on the hierarchical depth. In this paper, we first triumph over the barrier by proposing simple but effective design methodologies to construct efficient HKIBE schemes. First, we show a generic construction from any hierarchical IBE (HIBE) scheme that satisfies a special requirement, called MSK evaluatability introduced by Emura et al. (Des. Codes Cryptography 89(7):1535–1574, 2021). It provides several new and efficient instantiations since most pairing-based HIBE schemes satisfy the requirement. It is worth noting that it preserves all parameters’ sizes of the underlying HIBE scheme, and hence we obtain several efficient HKIBE schemes under the k-linear assumption in the standard model. Since MSK evaluatability is dedicated to pairing-based HIBE schemes, the first construction restricts pairing-based instantiations. To realize efficient instantiation from various assumptions, we next propose a generic construction of an HKIBE scheme from any plain HIBE scheme. It is based on Hanaoka et al.’s HKIBE scheme (Asiacrypt 2005), and does not need any special properties. Therefore, we obtain new efficient instantiations from various assumptions other than pairing-oriented ones. Though the sizes of secret keys and ciphertexts are larger than those of the first construction, it is more efficient than Hanaoka et al.’s scheme in the sense of the sizes of master public/secret keys.
Ecological risk and enrichment of potentially toxic elements in the soil and eroded sediment in an organic vineyard (Tokaj Nagy Hill, Hungary)
Authors: Pham Nhung Thi Ha , Babcsányi Izabella , Farsang Andrea
Published: September 2021

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs), such as Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, and Co, can accumulate in vineyard soils due to repeated uses of inorganic pesticides and chemical or organic fertilizers. In sloping vineyards, PTEs can also be moved by soil erosion resulting in their accumulation in low-energy zones within the landscape, adversely affecting the soil environment. Our study evaluated the ecological risk related to the pseudo-total and bioavailable PTE contents (Zn, Pb, Co, Ni, Cr, and Cu) in the soil and eroded sediment samples from an organic vineyard in Tokaj (NE Hungary). The contamination status and the ecological risk of target PTEs were assessed by calculating the contamination factor, the pollution load index, the ecological risk factor, and the ecological risk index. The median pollution load indices of 1.15, 1.81, and 1.10 for the topsoil, the sediments, and the subsoil, respectively, demonstrate a moderate multi-element contamination case in the organic vineyard. Target PTEs tented to show increased concentrations in eroded sediments with the highest enrichment ratio (3.36) observed for Cu (Cu in the sediment/Cu in the topsoil), revealing a preferential movement of Cu-rich soil particles by overland flow. Moreover, PTEs were present in the sediments in more bioavailable forms (except Ni, Cr), assessed by an extraction procedure with EDTA. The ecological risk index (< 90) based on the studied PTEs showed an overall low ecological risk in the vineyard. Copper was the predominant factor of the ecological risk. Moreover, the highest ecological risk factor (24.6) observed for the bioavailable Cu content in an eroded sediment sample (representing 82% of the total ecological risk) shows that Cu accumulation in sloping vineyards is an ecological risk, particularly in the sedimentation zones. The high proportions of bioavailable Cu in the vineyard’s soil represent an increasing ecological risk over time, related to repeated treatments of vine plants with Cu-based pesticides.
Peering into the dark (ages) with low-frequency space interferometers
Authors: Koopmans Léon V. E. , Barkana Rennan , Bentum Mark , Bernardi Gianni , Boonstra Albert-Jan , Bowman Judd , Burns Jack , Chen Xuelei , Datta Abhirup , Falcke Heino , Fialkov Anastasia , Gehlot Bharat , Gurvits Leonid , Jelić Vibor , Klein-Wolt Marc , Lazio Joseph , Meerburg Daan , Mellema Garrelt , Mertens Florent , Mesinger Andrei , Offringa André , Pritchard Jonathan , Semelin Benoit , Subrahmanyan Ravi , Silk Joseph , Trott Cathryn , Vedantham Harish , Verde Licia , Zaroubi Saleem , Zarka Philippe
Published: September 2021

The Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn are largely unexplored windows on the infant Universe (z ~ 200–10). Observations of the redshifted 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen can provide valuable new insight into fundamental physics and astrophysics during these eras that no other probe can provide, and drives the design of many future ground-based instruments such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA). We review progress in the field of high-redshift 21-cm Cosmology, in particular focussing on what questions can be addressed by probing the Dark Ages at z > 30. We conclude that only a space- or lunar-based radio telescope, shielded from the Earth’s radio-frequency interference (RFI) signals and its ionosphere, enable the 21-cm signal from the Dark Ages to be detected. We suggest a generic mission design concept, CoDEX, that will enable this in the coming decades.
EvoStencils: a grammar-based genetic programming approach for constructing efficient geometric multigrid methods
Authors: Schmitt Jonas , Kuckuk Sebastian , Köstler Harald
Published: September 2021

For many systems of linear equations that arise from the discretization of partial differential equations, the construction of an efficient multigrid solver is challenging. Here we present EvoStencils, a novel approach for optimizing geometric multigrid methods with grammar-guided genetic programming, a stochastic program optimization technique inspired by the principle of natural evolution. A multigrid solver is represented as a tree of mathematical expressions that we generate based on a formal grammar. The quality of each solver is evaluated in terms of convergence and compute performance by automatically generating an optimized implementation using code generation that is then executed on the target platform to measure all relevant performance metrics. Based on this, a multi-objective optimization is performed using a non-dominated sorting-based selection. To evaluate a large number of solvers in parallel, they are distributed to multiple compute nodes. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our implementation by constructing geometric multigrid solvers that are able to outperform hand-crafted methods for Poisson’s equation and a linear elastic boundary value problem with up to 16 million unknowns on multi-core processors with Ivy Bridge and Broadwell microarchitecture.
Avoiding Backlash or Proving One’s Manhood? Beliefs About Gender Differences in Negotiation
Authors: Mazei Jens , Bear Julia B. , Hüffmeier Joachim
Published: September 2021

Gender differences in negotiation are typically explained by processes that concern women (e.g., women anticipate backlash for assertive behavior). Research has begun to suggest that processes that concern men (e.g., men want to be seen as “real” men) also help to explain gender differences. However, these 2 approaches typically remain disconnected. Thus, we examined both types of processes in 3 studies examining people’s beliefs about the causes of gender differences in negotiation (total N = 931). Our studies showed that people endorsed to a similar, and sometimes even greater, extent processes that concern men as underlying gender differences in negotiation. Moreover, people’s beliefs about the causes of gender differences in negotiation were related to perceptions of the effectiveness of different diversity initiatives (i.e., interventions to reduce inequities) and willingness to support them.
Student Engagement in a Flipped Secondary Mathematics Classroom
Authors: Cevikbas Mustafa , Kaiser Gabriele
Published: September 2021

Many students are becoming increasingly disengaged in school, particularly in mathematics. This is an important problem as lack of engagement may threaten students’ achievement and performance in mathematics. A flipped learning pedagogy, which encourages students to take an active role in learning mathematics, has become a widely researched topic in recent years. However, few empirical studies to date have focused on the influence of flipped learning on student engagement in secondary mathematics classrooms. This qualitatively oriented study aimed to extend existing research on the role of flipped learning in behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement by adopting a social constructivist perspective to examine a secondary mathematics classroom. The participants were 33 high school students and their mathematics teacher, from whom data were gathered using multiple empirical methods. The results indicate that a flipped learning pedagogy has the potential to play a positive role in behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement as it provides learners with many possibilities for the learning of mathematics. However, to successfully flip learning, it is important to have a well-developed interactive design and to encourage social interaction in mathematics teaching and learning. Engagement was found to be negatively affected when the students had a negative perception of flipped learning and failed to complete the pre-class tasks. Overall, our results indicate that mathematics education can benefit from a flipped learning pedagogy as it has the potential to strengthen students’ engagement and mathematics learning in a social environment.
A new culture medium based on genetic algorithms for Isochrysis galbana production relevant to hatcheries
Authors: Camacho-Rodríguez J. , Gallardo-Rodríguez J. J. , Cerón-García M. C. , García-Camacho F. , Molina-Grima E.
Published: September 2021

The nutrient content of a commercial seawater culture medium for growing the microalgaIsochrysis galbanawas optimized using a stochastic strategy based on genetic algorithms. For this, 210 experiments spread over seven generations were carried out. This strategy reduced the number of assays by more than 90% compared to a factorial design involving the optimization of twelve nutrients simultaneously. The optimized medium outperformed the reference medium in all aspects. The genetic algorithm strategy achieved a polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) productivity of 7.8 mg L−1 day−1in a continuous culture ofI. galbana, corresponding to an increase of 15% compared to the commercial formulation. Carotenoids, on the other hand, increased by 50% d.w. In addition, PUFA yields were significantly improved, which allowed us to reduce the requirement of several nutrients, for instance, N (25%), Mo (20%), Mn (60%), Co (60%), and Cu (60%).
New Exotic Minimal Sets from Pseudo-Suspensions of Cantor Systems
Authors: Boroński Jan P. , Clark Alex , Oprocha Piotr
Published: September 2021

We develop a technique, pseudo-suspension, that applies to invariant sets of homeomorphisms of a class of annulus homeomorphisms we describe, Handel–Anosov–Katok (HAK) homeomorphisms, that generalize the homeomorphism first described by Handel. Given a HAK homeomorphism and a homeomorphism of the Cantor set, the pseudo-suspension yields a homeomorphism of a new space that combines features of both of the original homeomorphisms. This allows us to answer a well known open question by providing examples of hereditarily indecomposable continua that admit homeomorphisms with positive finite entropy. Additionally, we show that such examples occur as minimal sets of volume preserving smooth diffeomorphisms of 4-dimensional manifolds.We construct an example of a minimal, weakly mixing and uniformly rigid homeomorphism of the pseudo-circle, and by our method we are also able to extend it to other one-dimensional hereditarily indecomposable continua, thereby producing the first examples of minimal, uniformly rigid and weakly mixing homeomorphisms in dimension 1. We also show that the examples we construct can be realized as invariant sets of smooth diffeomorphisms of a 4-manifold. Until now the only known examples of connected spaces that admit minimal, uniformly rigid and weakly mixing homeomorphisms were modifications of those given by Glasner and Maon in dimension at least 2.
Deep Learning-Based Natural Language Processing in Radiology: The Impact of Report Complexity, Disease Prevalence, Dataset Size, and Algorithm Type on Model Performance
Authors: Olthof A. W. , van Ooijen P. M. A. , Cornelissen L. J.
Published: September 2021

In radiology, natural language processing (NLP) allows the extraction of valuable information from radiology reports. It can be used for various downstream tasks such as quality improvement, epidemiological research, and monitoring guideline adherence. Class imbalance, variation in dataset size, variation in report complexity, and algorithm type all influence NLP performance but have not yet been systematically and interrelatedly evaluated. In this study, we investigate these factors on the performance of four types [a fully connected neural network (Dense), a long short-term memory recurrent neural network (LSTM), a convolutional neural network (CNN), and a Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT)] of deep learning-based NLP. Two datasets consisting of radiologist-annotated reports of both trauma radiographs (n = 2469) and chest radiographs and computer tomography (CT) studies (n = 2255) were split into training sets (80%) and testing sets (20%). The training data was used as a source to train all four model types in 84 experiments (Fracture-data) and 45 experiments (Chest-data) with variation in size and prevalence. The performance was evaluated on sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, area under the curve, and F score. After the NLP of radiology reports, all four model-architectures demonstrated high performance with metrics up to > 0.90. CNN, LSTM, and Dense were outperformed by the BERT algorithm because of its stable results despite variation in training size and prevalence. Awareness of variation in prevalence is warranted because it impacts sensitivity and specificity in opposite directions.
Realization of best practices in software engineering and scientific writing through ready-to-use project skeletons
Authors: Haider Michael , Riesch Michael , Jirauschek Christian
Published: September 2021

Efforts in providing high-quality scientific software are hardly rewarded, as scientific output is typically measured in terms of publications in high ranking journals. As a result, scientific software is often developed without proper documentation and support of modern software design patterns. Ready-to-use project skeletons can be employed to accelerate the development process, while at the same time taking care of the implementation of best practices in software engineering. In this work, we revisit best practices in software engineering and review existing project skeletons. Special emphasis is given on the realization of best practices. Finally, we present a new project skeleton for scientific writing in "Image missing", which takes care of the attainment of best practices, adapted for being used in academic publications.