bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gray and White Matter Correlates of Dysphagia in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Authors: Clark Heather M. , Tosakulwong Nirubol , Weigand Stephen D. , Ali Farwa , Botha Hugo , Pham Nha Trang Thu , Schwarz Christopher G. , Reid Robert I. , Senjem Matthew L. , Jack Clifford R. , Lowe Val J. , Ahlskog J. Eric , Josephs Keith A. , Whitwell Jennifer L.
Published: August 2021

Background

Dysphagia is a common symptom of progressive supranuclear palsy often leading to aspiration pneumonia and death.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine how impairments of the oral and pharyngeal phases of the swallow and airway incursion during liquid swallows relate to gray and white matter integrity.

Methods

Thirty‐eight participants with progressive supranuclear palsy underwent videofluorographic swallowing assessment and structural and diffusion tensor head magnetic resonance imaging. Penalized linear regression models assessed relationships between swallowing metrics and regional gray matter volumes and white matter fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity.

Results

Oral phase impairments were associated with reduced superior parietal volumes and abnormal diffusivity in parietal and sensorimotor white matter, posterior limb of the internal capsule, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Pharyngeal phase impairments were associated with disruption to medial frontal lobe, corticospinal tract, and cerebral peduncle. No regions were predictive of airway incursion.

Conclusions

Differential patterns of neuroanatomical impairment corresponded to oral and pharyngeal phase swallowing impairments. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Reaction Data Curation I: Chemical Structures and Transformations Standardization
Authors: Gimadiev Timur R. , Lin Arkadii , Afonina Valentina A. , Batyrshin Dinar , Nugmanov Ramil I. , Akhmetshin Tagir , Sidorov Pavel , Duybankova Natalia , Verhoeven Jonas , Wegner Joerg , Ceulemans Hugo , Gedich Andrey , Madzhidov Timur I. , Varnek Alexandre
Published: August 2021

The quality of experimental data for chemical reactions is a critical consideration for any reaction‐driven study. However, the curation of reaction data has not been extensively discussed in the literature so far. Here, we suggest a 4 steps protocol that includes the curation of individual structures (reactants and products), chemical transformations, reaction conditions and endpoints. Its implementation in Python3 using CGRTools toolkit has been used to clean three popular reaction databases Reaxys, USPTO and Pistachio. The curated USPTO database is available in the GitHub repository (Laboratoire‐de‐Chemoinformatique/Reaction_Data_Cleaning).
Full probabilistic analysis of random first‐order linear differential equations with Dirac delta impulses appearing in control
Authors: Cortés Juan C. , Delgadillo‐Alemán Sandra E. , Kú‐Carrillo Roberto A. , Villanueva Rafael J.
Published: August 2021

We study, from a probabilistic standpoint, first‐order impulsive linear differential equations, where all its parameters (initial condition and coefficients) are absolutely continuous random variables with a joint probability density function. We assume an infinite train of Dirac delta impulse applications at given time instants to control the model output. We take extensive advantage of the random variable transformation method to determine, first, an explicit expression for the probability density of the solution stochastic process, and secondly, of the random sequences for the maxima and minima. From these sequences, we determine the probability of stability of the solution stochastic process. This analysis is extended in the case that the application times are evenly spaced, via a period T, which is assumed to be a random variable. All the theoretical results are illustrated by means of several numerical examples, where we also perform a sensitivity analysis, via Sobol indexes, to highlight those model parameters that most explain the variability of the model response.
Radiobiology of the FLASH effect
Authors: Friedl Anna A. , Prise Kevin M. , Butterworth Karl T. , Montay‐Gruel Pierre , Favaudon Vincent
Published: August 2021

Radiation exposures at ultrahigh dose rates (UHDRs) at several orders of magnitude greater than in current clinical radiotherapy (RT) have been shown to manifest differential radiobiological responses compared to conventional (CONV) dose rates. This has led to studies investigating the application of UHDR for therapeutic advantage (FLASH‐RT) that have gained significant interest since the initial discovery in 2014 that demonstrated reduced lung toxicity with equivalent levels of tumor control compared with conventional dose‐rate RT. Many subsequent studies have demonstrated the potential protective role of FLASH‐RT in normal tissues, yet the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of the FLASH effect remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we summarize the current evidence of the FLASH effect and review FLASH‐RT studies performed in preclinical models of normal tissue response. To critically examine the underlying biological mechanisms of responses to UHDR radiation exposures, we evaluate in vitro studies performed with normal and tumor cells. Differential responses to UHDR versus CONV irradiation recurrently involve reduced inflammatory processes and differential expression of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory genes. In addition, frequently reduced levels of DNA damage or misrepair products are seen after UHDR irradiation. So far, it is not clear what signal elicits these differential responses, but there are indications for involvement of reactive species. Different susceptibility to FLASH effects observed between normal and tumor cells may result from altered metabolic and detoxification pathways and/or repair pathways used by tumor cells. We summarize the current theories that may explain the FLASH effect and highlight important research questions that are key to a better mechanistic understanding and, thus, the future implementation of FLASH‐RT in the clinic.
The COVID‐19 pandemic and healthcare workers psychological well‐being: a cross‐sectional survey in Indonesia
Authors: Ni’matuzahroh  , Ningrum Valendriyani , Widayat  , Dyah Artaria Myrtati , Suen Mein‐Woei
Published: August 2021

Aim

This study was conducted to investigate the relationships amongst psychological well‐being (PWB), emotional intelligence and coping strategies.

Design

This study employed a cross‐sectional survey design.

Method

A total of 146 healthcare workers (HCWs) were enrolled in this study. They were asked to finish several questionnaires, including the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Brief‐Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Scale and the PWB Scale. The obtained data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling, employee SmartPLS, to estimate the contributions of influencing factors and evaluate the moderating effect of coping strategy (CS) on the relationship between emotional intelligence and PWB.

Results

Results revealed that emotional intelligence influenced PWB, and CS moderated both emotional intelligence and PWB. Furthermore, CS plays an essential role in improving PWB related to emotional intelligence amongst HCWs during the COVID‐19 outbreak.
Counseling for personal health implications identified during reproductive genetic carrier screening
Authors: Gbur Samantha , Mauney Logan , Gray Kathryn J. , Wilkins‐Haug Louise , Guseh Stephanie
Published: August 2021

Objective

Preconception and prenatal carrier screening is designed to provide reproductive risk information, but carriers for some autosomal recessive or X‐linked conditions also have personal health risks. This study investigated the prevalence of and inclusion of personal health implications in pre‐ and post‐test counseling.

Methods

Twelve genetic conditions with personal health risks for carriers included on carrier screening panels but not otherwise screened routinely were identified (e.g., Gaucher disease with Parkinson's disease risk). A retrospective review was performed of patients with a positive carrier screen for one of these conditions at our center from 2012 to 2019.

Results

Of 6147 individuals that had carrier screening for one of the twelve conditions, 96 (1.56%) did not report a known family history and screened positive for one of the conditions. Testing was ordered largely by reproductive endocrinologists (51.0%) and genetic counselors (35.4%). Most individuals did not receive pre‐ (96.8%) or post‐test (64.6%) counseling about personal health risks. Post‐test counseling was performed principally by genetic counselors (97.1%). For carriers of conditions with guidelines for specialist referral, most individuals (75.9%) were referred.

Conclusion

Expanded genetic carrier screening increasingly identifies individuals with personal health implications, but patients are frequently not counseled before or after testing. These findings stress the importance of developing guidelines for practitioners about expanded carrier screening counseling and follow‐up.
Icariin attenuates renal fibrosis in chronic kidney disease by inhibiting interleukin‐1β/transforming growth factor‐β‐mediated activation of renal fibroblasts
Authors: Wang Meng , Wang Lingchen , Zhou Yuan , Feng Xiaoxuan , Ye Chaoyang , Wang Chen
Published: August 2021

Icariin (ICA) is a bioactive flavonoid extracted from Epimedium brevicornum Maxim and exhibits a variety of pharmacological activities including antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects. Recently, icariin has shown renoprotective role by inhibiting pathological matrix. However, the underlying mechanisms of the efficacy remain unknown. This study aimed to determine the effects of icariin on renal fibrosis and explore its molecular mechanisms. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was induced in rats with 5/6 ablation and infarction (A/I) operation. Four weeks later, rats were treated with vehicle or 20 mg/kg (low dose) or 40 mg/kg (high dose) of icariin by daily gavage. Furthermore, to further elucidate the effect mechanisms of icariin, in vitro, NRK‐49F cells stimulated by 8 ng/ml IL‐1β were treated with icariin in the presence or absence of SB431542 or the neutralizing antibody of transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) for 24 h. We showed that icariin treatment for 8 weeks dose‐dependently improved 5/6 (A/I)‐induced kidney injury and fibrosis, and blocked the release of inflammatory cytokine IL‐1β. In vitro, icariin inhibited IL‐1β/TGF‐β‐mediated activation of renal fibroblasts. In summary, anti‐fibrotic effects of icariin were interconnected with the inhibition of renal fibroblast activation caused by IL‐1β/TGF‐β signaling.
Magnetic Topological Semimetal Phase with Electronic Correlation Enhancement in SmSbTe
Authors: Pandey Krishna , Mondal Debashis , Villanova John William , Roll Joseph , Basnet Rabindra , Wegner Aaron , Acharya Gokul , Nabi Md Rafique Un , Ghosh Barun , Fujii Jun , Wang Jian , Da Bo , Agarwal Amit , Vobornik Ivana , Politano Antonio , Barraza‐Lopez Salvador , Hu Jin
Published: August 2021

The ZrSiS family of compounds hosts various exotic quantum phenomena due to the presence of both topological nonsymmorphic Dirac fermions and nodal‐line fermions. In this material family, the LnSbTe (Ln = lanthanide) compounds are particularly interesting owing to the intrinsic magnetism from magnetic Ln which leads to new properties and quantum states. In this work, the authors focus on the previously unexplored compound SmSbTe. The studies reveal a rare combination of a few functional properties in this material, including antiferromagnetism with possible magnetic frustration, electron correlation enhancement, and Dirac nodal‐line fermions. These properties enable SmSbTe as a unique platform to explore exotic quantum phenomena and advanced functionalities arising from the interplay between magnetism, topology, and electronic correlations.
Multi‐step‐ahead prediction interval for locally stationary time series with application to air pollutant concentration data
Authors: Li Jie , Hu Qirui , Zhang Fengying
Published: August 2021

Locally stationary time series frequently appears in both finance and environmental sciences (e.g., daily air pollutant concentration or financial returns). However, constructing the multi‐step‐ahead prediction interval for such time series remains an open question. Hence, we extend the nonparametric regression model with autoregressive errors for equally spaced designs to the time series setup. We propose a B‐spline estimator for the trend function and a kernel estimator for the variance function to implement the model. The prediction interval of multi‐step‐ahead future observations is also constructed after fitting the autoregressive model of errors and obtaining the quantile of prediction residuals. The proposed method is illustrated by various simulation studies and an example of air pollutant data, containing 8 years of daily air pollutant concentrations in Xi'an. Our results demonstrate that our method outperforms others owing to its higher prediction accuracy and versatility.
A joint model for longitudinal outcomes with potential ceiling and floor effects and survival times, with applications to analysis of quality of life data from a cancer clinical trial
Authors: Wang Zhanfeng , Xu Honghong , Liu Haijiao , Song Hui , Tu Dongsheng
Published: August 2021

Longitudinal data on patient‐reported outcomes (PROs), such as quality of life of patients, are frequently collected in clinical trials and other medical studies. Joint analysis of these data with survival times may improve the accuracy of statistical inferences, especially when PRO measurements may be missing after the death of patients. Classical linear mixed models are often used as the models for the longitudinal measurements in a joint analysis, but it may not be suitable for longitudinal PRO measurements with potential ceiling and floor effects caused by a large portion of patients who report either a maximum or minimum score. In this paper, we introduce a new joint model that uses a longitudinal Tobit model for the longitudinal outcomes with potential ceiling and floor effects and a Cox proportional hazard model for survival time with a random effect connecting these two models. An estimation procedure based on the partial likelihood and Laplace approximation is developed to estimate the parameters in both models, and a random weighting method is proposed to calculate the variances of these parameter estimators. Performances of the proposed procedures are evaluated through simulation studies and an application to the analysis of quality of life data from a clinical trial.
Honest leave‐one‐out cross‐validation for estimating post‐tuning generalization error
Authors: Wang Boxiang , Zou Hui
Published: August 2021

Many machine learning models have tuning parameters to be determined by the training data, and cross‐validation (CV) is perhaps the most commonly used method for selecting tuning parameters. This work concerns the problem of estimating the generalization error of a CV‐tuned predictive model. We propose to use an honest leave‐one‐out cross‐validation framework to produce a nearly unbiased estimator of the post‐tuning generalization error. By using the kernel support vector machine and the kernel logistic regression as examples, we demonstrate that the honest leave‐one‐out cross‐validation has very competitive performance even when competing with the state‐of‐the‐art .632+ estimator.
Structural inference of time‐varying mixed graphical models
Authors: Liu Qingyang , Zhang Yuping , Ouyang Zhengqing
Published: August 2021

With the rapid advancement of biotechnology, there arise new challenges to discover regulatory and co‐action relationships among heterogeneous biological features as well as to capture significant topological changes when data are observed across time. This paper is devoted to joint structural estimation of time‐varying mixed graphical models based on multivariate data over a series of time points. Assuming the graph topology changes gradually over time, we establish a flexible local estimator to fully exploit the structural smoothness. Utilizing variational likelihood inference, we impose a group lasso penalty to integrate information from nearby time points. In order to reduce the algorithmic complexity, we propose an accelerated alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM)‐based algorithm exploiting the block diagonal structure to adapt our problem for large sparse networks. Practical merits of our method are exhibited through synthetic networks with mixed data types. Ultimately, we illustrate the real application by incorporating multi‐platform data from the PsychENCODE human brain development project and detect the evolution of gene regulatory networks along different stages of human brain development.
Bias analysis of generalized estimating equations under measurement error and practical bias correction
Authors: Lau Yuen Tsz Abby , Yan Jun
Published: August 2021

A correctly specified working correlation structure ensures the efficiency in inferences for marginal regressions based on estimating equations. When there are measurement errors in covariates, however, correct specification of the working correlation structure may lead to more severe bias and higher mean squared error than working independence. We report this lesser known phenomenon and explain it in a bias analysis. The bias can be corrected using a functional approach with efficiency improved through the generalized method of moments, which works well only for large samples. For practical purposes, we further address two computational issues and correct the variance estimator for small samples. The proposed approaches are validated in simulation studies and illustrated in an example. The methods are publicly available in an R package eiv.
Resilience of veterinarians at different career stages: The role of self‐efficacy, coping strategies and personal resources for resilience in veterinary practice
Authors: McArthur Michelle L. , Learey Tobi J. , Jarden Aaron , Van Gelderen Ingrid , Hazel Susan J. , Cake Martin A. , Mansfield Caroline F. , Zaki Sanaa , Matthew Susan M.
Published: August 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of demographic and psychological factors on resilience in new graduate‐, mid‐ and late‐career veterinarians working in Australia.

Method

An online cross‐sectional survey of 800 veterinarians collected demographic and descriptive data in two stages from late 2015 to 2017, such as gender, average hours worked per week, type and region of practice and intention to leave veterinary medicine. Psychological factors were measured utilising the Brief Resilience Scale, the Veterinary Resilience Scale–Personal Resources, the Brief COPE and General Self‐Efficacy measures.

Results

Using a full‐factorial univariate General Linear Model, no significant difference in general resilience was evident between the three career‐stage groups (p > 0.05). However, higher self‐efficacy, higher personal resources for resilience in veterinary practice, and lower problem‐focused, higher emotion‐focused and lower dysfunctional coping strategies were related to higher resilience. In the model for mid‐ and late‐career veterinarians, a weak positive relationship existed between higher average hours worked per week and higher resilience, while intention to leave veterinary practice was also related to lower resilience in mid‐ and late‐career veterinarians.

Conclusion

This study supports the value of personal resources, rather than career stage, gender or region of work, as influential in developing veterinarian resilience.
Threshold resummation of transverse momentum distributions beyond next-to-leading log
Authors: Forte Stefano , Ridolfi Giovanni , Rota Simone
Published: August 2021

Abstract

We derive a general expression for the threshold resummation of transverse momentum distributions for processes with a colorless final state, by suitably generalizing the renormalization-group based approach to threshold resummation previously pursued by two of us. The ensuing expression holds to all logarithmic orders, and it can be used to extend available results in the literature, which only hold up to the next-to-leading log (NLL) level. We check agreement of our result with the existing NLL result, as well as against the known fixed next-to-leading order results for the Higgs transverse momentum distribution in gluon fusion, and we provide explicit expressions at the next-to-next-to-leading log level.
Ein Scharnier zwischen Eugenik und Recht – der „medizinisch-juristische“ Kommentar im „Dritten Reich“
Authors: Yurdakul Vivian
Published: August 2021

Ab 1934 traten vermehrt Wissenschaftler unterschiedlicher Disziplinen, insbesondere Mediziner, als Autoren einer vormals rein rechtswissenschaftlichen Fachtextgattung auf, nämlich des juristischen Kommentars. Der folgende Text geht am Beispiel des maßgeblichen, von zwei Ärzten und einem Juristen verfassten Rechtskommentars zum Blutschutz- und Ehegesundheitsgesetz von 1935 der Frage nach, wie sich dadurch die Gesetzeserläuterung veränderte. Hintergrund ist eine ab 1934 in den juristischen Fachzeitschriften geführte Debatte um eine Reform des Genres Gesetzeskommentar, das in seiner herkömmlichen Anlage als inkompatibel mit dem nationalsozialistischen Rechtsdenken galt.

Der Aufsatz versucht diesen Prozess in Ausweitung des Theorieansatzes Mitchell G. Ashs als „Verflechtung“ des Rechts mit anderen Wissenschaften zu begreifen, die zu beiderseitigem „Vorteil“ war: Auf der einen Seite konnte sich die Jurisprudenz auf vorgeblich „wissenschaftlich-objektive“ Befunde berufen, die, anders als juristische Abwägungen – so die Suggestion –, als „nicht hinterfragbar“ angesehen wurden. Andererseits verlieh die unmittelbare Rechtsrelevanz bestimmter Befunde aus den betreffenden Wissenschaften diesen Disziplinen insgesamt einen höheren gesellschaftlichen Stellenwert, der wiederum die Erschließung neuer Forschungsfelder ermöglichte.

Geprüft wird außerdem ein möglicher Zusammenhang mit einer partiellen Veränderung der Gerichtslandschaft: Mit der verstärkten Gesetzeskommentierung durch Nicht-Juristen erweiterte sich schließlich auch der Adressatenkreis der betreffenden Schriften. Auf Grundlage vieler ab 1933 geschaffener Gesetze wurden neue Gerichte ins Leben gerufen, an denen sogenannte sachkundige Laienrichter mitentschieden – „Fachleute“ aus den Disziplinen, auf die sich die Gesetzgebung nun berief.
Schema Compliant Consistency Management via Triple Graph Grammars and Integer Linear Programming
Authors: Weidmann Nils , Anjorin Anthony
Published: August 2021

In the field of Model-Driven Engineering, Triple Graph Grammars
(TGGs) play an important role as a rule-based means of implementing
consistency management. From a declarative specification of a
consistency relation, several operations including forward and
backward transformations, (concurrent) synchronisation, and
consistency checks can be automatically derived. For TGGs to be
applicable in realistic application scenarios, expressiveness in
terms of supported language features is very important. A TGG tool
is schema compliant if it can take domain constraints, such as
multiplicity constraints in a meta-model, into account when
performing consistency management tasks. To guarantee schema
compliance, most TGG tools allow application conditions to be
attached as necessary to relevant rules. This strategy is
problematic for at least two reasons: First, ensuring compliance to
a sufficiently expressive schema for all previously mentioned
derived operations is still an open challenge; to the best of our
knowledge, all existing TGG tools only support a very restricted
subset of application conditions. Second, it is conceptually
demanding for the user to indirectly specify domain constraints as
application conditions, especially because this has to be completely
revisited every time the TGG or domain constraint is changed. While
domain constraints can in theory be automatically transformed to
obtain the required set of application conditions, this has only
been successfully transferred to TGGs for a very limited subset of
domain constraints. To address these limitations, this paper
proposes a search-based strategy for achieving schema compliance. We
show that all correctness and completeness properties, previously
proven in a setting without domain constraints, still hold when
schema compliance is to be additionally guaranteed. An
implementation and experimental evaluation are provided to support
our claim of practical applicability.
Lessons from failure: neurosurgical outreach in Managua, Nicaragua
Authors: Jandial Rahul , Narang Pranay , Aramayo Jorge Daniel Brun , Levy Michael
Published: August 2021

With respect to the tremendous deficit in surgical care plaguing developing nations, it is critical that medical outreach models be organized in such a fashion that sustainable advancements can be durably imparted beyond the duration of targeted missions. Using a didactic framework focused on empowering host neurosurgeons with an enhanced surgical skillset, a mission was launched in Managua, Nicaragua, after previous success in Kiev, Ukraine, and Lima, Peru. Unfortunately, the failure to critically assess the internal and external state of affairs of the region’s medical center compromised the outreach mission. Herein lies the visiting team’s lessons from failure and insights on facilitating effective communication with host institutions, circumventing geopolitical instability, and utilizing digital collaboration and video-conferencing tools in the post-COVID-19 era to advance the surgical care of developing regions in a fashion that can be generationally felt.
Dietary intake of protein and fat of 12- to 36-month-old children in a Dutch Total Diet Study
Authors: Pustjens Annemieke Maria , Castenmiller Jacqueline Jozefine Maria , te Biesebeek Jan Dirk , Boon Polly Ester
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study attempted gaining insight into the intake of protein and fat of 12- to 36-month-old children in the Netherlands.

Methods

In 2017, a Total Diet Study (TDS) was carried out in the Netherlands including following three age groups: 12–17-, 18–23- and 24- to 36-month-old children. Protein and fat concentrations of 164 composite samples were analysed and combined with the consumption data from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 2012–2016 (DNFCS).

Results

Median protein intake of the 12- to 35-month-old Dutch children based on the TDS was 35 g/day with main contributions from the food subgroups “milk and milk-based beverages”, “beef” and “yoghurts and desserts”. Median fat intake was 34 g/day with main contributions from the food subgroups “margarines”, “cheeses” and “milk and milk-based beverages”. For the youngest age group (12- to 18-month-old children), (ready to drink) follow-on formula was one of the main contributors to the fat intake.

Conclusion

Compared to the EFSA reference values, protein intake of the Dutch 12- to 36-month-old children is high, whereas fat intake follows the reference intake. A TDS is a suitable instrument to estimate macronutrient intakes.
The clinical efficacy of azathioprine as maintenance treatment for autoimmune pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Masaki Yoshiharu , Nakase Hiroshi , Tsuji Yoshihisa , Nojima Masanori , Shimizu Kyoko , Mizuno Nobumasa , Ikeura Tsukasa , Uchida Kazushige , Ido Akio , Kodama Yuzo , Seno Hiroshi , Okazaki Kazuichi , Nakamura Seiji , Masamune Atsushi
Published: August 2021

The effectiveness of azathioprine (AZA) in preventing relapse and maintaining autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) remission has been reported; however, most of these studies are case series with no randomized control trials available in the literature. Therefore, this study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature on this subject to determine the clinical efficacy of AZA as maintenance therapy for AIP patients. A systematic search was performed to identify studies on the clinical efficacy of AZA as maintenance therapy in AIP patients. The crude multiple relapse rate was estimated to assess the ability of AZA to control relapses in AIP. Pooled estimates were obtained using a random-effects model with the DerSimonian-Laird method. We identified AIP patients who did not respond to initial steroid treatment, experienced steroid weaning failure, or those who relapsed during remission as refractory cases. After reviewing the studies, ten articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were selected for meta-analysis. Of all 4504 patients, 3534 patients were treated with steroids, and 346 patients were treated with AZA for relapsed AIP. In this meta-analysis, 14/73 (19.2%) patients receiving AZA for refractory AIP relapsed. Meanwhile, 14/47 (29.8%) patients without AZA experienced relapse. The integrated odds ratio for relapse risk in patients receiving AZA was estimated to be 0.52 (p = 0.15). This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated the efficacy of AZA in preventing relapse of AIP, which supports the use of AZA as a maintenance treatment in patients with AIP who relapse upon withdrawal of steroid therapy.
Pandemien — was kann man (ökonomisch) in Zukunft besser machen?
Authors:   ZG Überblick
Published: August 2021

Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat die Fragilität des Gesundheitssystems, der Gesellschaft und der Wirtschaft beim Auftreten von weltweiten Krisen deutlich gemacht. Um auf die nächste Krise besser vorbereitet zu sein, stellen sich gesundheitspolitische, wirtschaftliche, rechtliche, ethische und politische Fragen. Zu diesem Thema veranstaltete die Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (BBAW) am 29. Juni 2021 ein Symposium. Gibt es bessere Strategien für mehr Resilienz, Effektivität und Gerechtigkeit? Was kann man dem Markt überlassen, was ist Sache des Staates? Wie sortiert man Finanzierung, Verantwortlichkeiten und Entscheidungsrechte innerhalb eines Landes und über die (europäischen) Ländergrenzen hinweg. Ausgewählte Beiträge zum Symposium werden in diesem Wirtschaftsdienst-Zeitgespräch zusammengefasst.
Shake-table response simulation of a URM building specimen using discrete micro-models with varying degrees of detail
Authors: Calò Mattia , Malomo Daniele , Gabbianelli Giammaria , Pinho Rui
Published: August 2021

Recent technological advances have enabled earthquake engineering researchers to develop numerical models of increasing complexity, capable of duly reproducing even the smallest structural detail. In the case of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures, however, because of their discrete and heterogeneous nature, computational performance tends to decrease exponentially as a function of the adopted refinement level, thus confining the applicability of advanced micro-models, according to which each masonry unit is typically modelled separately, to reduced-scale problems. To enable their use at a building scale, and benefit from considering simultaneously out-of-plane failures, local wall-diaphragm interaction and collapses, researchers often need to decrease the level of detail of specific members or sub-structures. In the current literature, however, the influence of the abovementioned simplifications on the quality of micro-modelling predictions has been only marginally investigated so far, while code-based guidelines are missing. To start addressing such knowledge gap, the dynamic response of a shake-table-tested full-scale URM building specimen has been simulated in this work using a very detailed micro-model, and the results obtained were then compared with those of nominally identical models in which, however, the idealisation of some specific structural elements has been purposely simplified. Aimed at further extending the impact of this study, pushover analyses were also performed using the same models. Preliminary outcomes, which may serve as a reference to develop more informed, effective and targeted multi-scale micro-modelling strategies in the future, indicate that: (i) maximum base shear predictions tend to be less impacted by the introduction of modelling simplifications, (ii) despite requiring more labour, the explicit representation of the brickwork pattern generally led to better results in terms of predicted damage propagation, failure mechanisms and displacement capacity, (iii) using equivalent membranes, as opposed to modelling each component of timber diaphragms, provided acceptable results, making it a plausible alternative for practical applications of micro-modelling approaches.
Effects of exercise in breast cancer patients: implications of the trials within cohorts (TwiCs) design in the UMBRELLA Fit trial
Authors: Gal Roxanne , Monninkhof Evelyn M. , van Gils Carla H. , Groenwold Rolf H. H. , Elias Sjoerd G. , van den Bongard Desirée H. J. G. , Peeters Petra H. M. , Verkooijen Helena M. , May Anne M.
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The Trials within Cohorts (TwiCs) design aims to overcome problems faced in conventional RCTs. We evaluated the TwiCs design when estimating the effect of exercise on quality of life (QoL) and fatigue in inactive breast cancer survivors.

Methods

UMBRELLA Fit was conducted within the prospective UMBRELLA breast cancer cohort. Patients provided consent for future randomization at cohort entry. We randomized inactive patients 12–18 months after cohort enrollment. The intervention group (n = 130) was offered a 12-week supervised exercise intervention. The control group (n = 130) was not informed and received usual care. Six-month exercise effects on QoL and fatigue as measured in the cohort were analyzed with intention-to-treat (ITT), instrumental variable (IV), and propensity scores (PS) analyses.

Results

Fifty-two percent (n = 68) of inactive patients accepted the intervention. Physical activity increased in patients in the intervention group, but not in the control group. We found no benefit of exercise for dimensions of QoL (ITT difference global QoL: 0.8, 95% CI = − 2.2; 3.8) and fatigue, except for a small beneficial effect on physical fatigue (ITT difference: − 1.1, 95% CI = − 1.8; − 0.3; IV: − 1.9, 95% CI = − 3.3; − 0.5, PS: − 1.2, 95% CI = − 2.3; − 0.2).

Conclusion

TwiCs gave insight into exercise intervention acceptance: about half of inactive breast cancer survivors accepted the offer and increased physical activity levels. The offer resulted in no improvement on QoL, and a small beneficial effect on physical fatigue.

Trial registration

Netherlands Trial Register (NTR5482/NL.52062.041.15), date of registration: December 07, 2015.
Green extraction of proteins, umami and other free amino acids from brown macroalgae Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus
Authors: Ummat Viruja , Garcia-Vaquero Marco , Poojary Mahesha M. , Lund Marianne N. , O’Donnell Colm , Zhang Zhihang , Tiwari Brijesh K.
Published: August 2021

Seaweeds are a valuable potential source of protein, as well as free amino acids (FAAs) with umami flavour which are in high demand by the food industry. The most commonly used flavouring agents in the food industry are chemically synthesised and therefore are subject to concerns regarding their safety and associated consumer resistance. This study focuses on the effects of extraction time (1 and 2 h) and solvents (0.1 M HCl, 1% citric acid and deionised water) on the extraction of protein and FAAs including umami FAAs from Irish brown seaweeds (Ascophyllum nodosumandFucus vesiculosus). Extraction yields were influenced by both the extraction solvent and time, and also varied according to the seaweed used. Both seaweeds investigated were found to be good sources of protein, FAAs including umami FAAs, demonstrating potential application as flavouring agents in the food industry. Overall, the use of green solvents (deionised water and citric acid) resulted in higher recoveries of compounds compared to HCl. The results of this study will facilitate the use of more sustainable solvents in industry for the extraction of proteins and flavouring agents from seaweed.
Bone induction and defect repair by true bone ceramics incorporated with rhBMP-2 and Sr
Authors: Zhang Chunli , Xu Gang , Han Liwei , Hu Xiantong , Zhao Yantao , Li Zhonghai
Published: August 2021

Objective: To study the bone induction and defect repair of true bone ceramics (TBC) combined with rhBMP-2 and Sr. Methods: MC3T3-E1 cells were used to evaluate the bioactivity of the composite. Cell proliferation activity was detected by CCK-8, ALP activity was detected by p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNPP), and the differences of material surface topography were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Bone induction was verified by the implantation in nude mice. The rabbit femoral condyle defect model was achieved to verify the bone defect repair ability of the material. Results: SEM results showed nearly the same surface morphology and cell proliferation quantified by CCK-8 showed that compared with TBC, both TBC&Sr and TBC&BMP-2&Sr had a significant promoting effect (P < 0.05). ALP activity result showed that the ALP activity of TBC&BMP-2&Sr was significantly higher than that of TBC alone (P < 0.05). The bone induction result showed that TBC&Sr had a small amount of new bone formation, and the new bone area was only 2.5 ± 0.11%. The bone induction activity of TBC&BMP-2&Sr was the highest, the new bone area was up to 75.36 ± 4.21%. Histological result of bone defect repair showed that TBC&BMP-2&Sr was also the highest, the new bone area was up to 72.42 ± 3.14%. The repair effect of TBC& BMP-2 was second, and better than that of TBC&Sr. Conclusion: TBC combined with rhBMP-2 and Sr had the good bioactivity, obvious bone conduction and bone defect repair performance, laying the foundation of clinical application potentially.
Assessments in Psychotherapy with Suicidal Patients: The Precedence of Alliance Work
Authors: Østlie Kristin , Stänicke Erik , Haavind Hanne
Published: August 2021

In this article the aim was to explore how therapists handle suicide risk assessment in connection with patient’s experience of alliance in psychotherapy. In a naturalistic, longitudinal study, 19 suicidal patients were interviewed three times: just before they started in therapy (T1), during the early phase (T2), and again after one year (T3). 17 therapists were interviewed separately at T2 and T3. The interviews explored the personal experiences of both patients and therapists, including their handling of suicidality and the quality of their relationships. An interpretative-phenomenological approach was used to analyze the research interviews case by case, as seen from the perspective of both therapist and patient in each dyad. Because of their duties within the Norwegian Healthcare System, all therapists are obliged to follow the National Guidelines in suicide risk assessment. The results indicate that there are two pitfalls for therapists: to avoid the topic of suicidality and using the suicide risk assessment in a rigid way. Both pitfalls have disturbing effects on the working alliance between therapist and patient. Most of the therapists were able to integrate personalized assessment procedures in the running dialogue. Our argument here is that in order to integrate assessment with therapeutic work, it is important for the therapist to establish ethical responsibility with patient. A modern philosophical perspective on ethics of closeness is discussed.
Tree Preference and Temporal Activity Patterns for a Native Ant Community in an Urbanized California Woodland
Authors: MacArthur-Waltz Dylan J. , Nelson Rebecca A. , Lee Gail , Gordon Deborah M.
Published: August 2021

Anthropogenic disturbances, including land use change and exotic species, can alter the diversity and dynamics of ant communities. To examine foraging behavior in an urbanized habitat in northern California, we surveyed the presence of 9 ant species on 876 trees across 4 seasons during both day and night in a 9.5-hectare urbanized oak-exotic woodland. Ants were more likely to be observed on native, evergreen trees, suggesting that native evergreen species may help maintain ant diversity. Species showed clear patterns of temporal partitioning of foraging activity. Ant species varied in their use of native evergreen Quercus agrifolia trees across season and day/night axes. Of the 3 ant species most frequently observed, Camponotus semitestaceus was most active during spring and summer nights, Formica moki was most active during spring and summer days, and Prenolepis imparis was most active during both day and night during fall and winter. Liometopum occidentale was the second most active species during summer day and night, and winter day. Our findings demonstrate that an oak-exotic urban woodland in Northern California was able to maintain a native ant community, and strong temporal partitioning within that community.
The impact of lay beliefs about AI on adoption of algorithmic advice
Authors: von Walter Benjamin , Kremmel Dietmar , Jäger Bruno
Published: August 2021

There is little research on how consumers decide whether they want to use algorithmic advice or not. In this research, we show that consumers’ lay beliefs about artificial intelligence (AI) serve as a heuristic cue to evaluate accuracy of algorithmic advice in different professional service domains. Three studies provide robust evidence that consumers who believe that AI is higher than human intelligence are more likely to adopt algorithmic advice. We also demonstrate that lay beliefs about AI only influence adoption of algorithmic advice when a decision task is perceived to be complex.
Modelling typing disfluencies as finite mixture process
Authors: Roeser Jens , De Maeyer Sven , Leijten Mariëlle , Van Waes Luuk
Published: August 2021

To writing anything on a keyboard at all requires us to know first what to type, then to activate motor programmes for finger movements, and execute these. An interruption in the information flow at any of these stages leads to disfluencies. To capture this combination of fluent typing and typing hesitations, researchers calculate different measures from keystroke-latency data—such as mean inter-keystroke interval and pause frequencies. There are two fundamental problems with this: first, summary statistics ignore important information in the data and frequently result in biased estimates; second, pauses and pause-related measures are defined using threshold values which are, in principle, arbitrary. We implemented a series of Bayesian models that aimed to address both issues while providing reliable estimates for individual typing speed and statistically inferred process disfluencies. We tested these models on a random sample of 250 copy-task recordings. Our results illustrate that we can model copy typing as a mixture process of fluent and disfluent key transitions. We conclude that mixture models (1) map onto the information cascade that generate keystrokes, and (2) provide a principled approach to detect disfluencies in keyboard typing.
Education for just transitions: Lifelong learning and the 30th anniversary Human Development Report
Authors: McGrath Simon , Deneulin Séverine
Published: August 2021

The 30th anniversary Human Development Report, entitled The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene, was released by the United Nations Development Programme in December 2020. It marks an important step forward as a high-profile publication trying to radically re-think the challenge of sustainable development and revisit what it means to develop as human beings interconnected within earth systems. This article provides a critical reading of the report, and human development literature more widely, in assessing the role of lifelong learning in educating for just transitions, which it broadly understands as the transformation of all social systems, including economic systems, to bring them back into balance with earth systems in which they are embedded. The report maintains its trademark “human development lens” which has characterised the series since their inception in 1990. It prioritises consideration of capabilities, agency and values as central to the challenge, and opens up a discussion of how we need to change our understandings, values and actions, including what it means to be human, in order to effect just transitions towards sustainability. However, as the authors demonstrate, the report falls short of considering the lifelong learning challenge inherent and central to just transitions. The authors argue that the pressing challenge of responding to the climate emergency requires a richer understanding of how humans learn throughout their life course. In so doing, this article is a contribution to both the literature on education and human development, and the growing body of literature in the field of adult education and sustainability.
Flow Path Resistance in Heterogeneous Porous Media Recast into a Graph-Theory Problem
Authors: Kanavas Z. , Pérez-Reche F. J. , Arns F. , Morales V. L.
Published: August 2021

This work aims to describe the spatial distribution of flow from characteristics of the underlying pore structure in heterogeneous porous media. Thousands of two-dimensional samples of polydispersed granular media are used to (1) obtain the velocity field via direct numerical simulations, and (2) conceptualize the pore network as a graph in each sample. Analysis of the flow field allows us to distinguish preferential from stagnant flow regions and to quantify how channelized the flow is. Then, the graph’s edges are weighted by geometric attributes of their corresponding pores to find the path of minimum resistance of each sample. Overlap between the preferential flow paths and the predicted minimum resistance path determines the accuracy in individual samples. An evolutionary algorithm is employed to determine the “fittest” weighting scheme (here, the channel’s arc length to pore throat ratio) that maximizes accuracy across the entire dataset while minimizing over-parameterization. Finally, the structural similarity of neighboring edges is analyzed to explain the spatial arrangement of preferential flow within the pore network. We find that connected edges within the preferential flow subnetwork are highly similar, while those within the stagnant flow subnetwork are dissimilar. The contrast in similarity between these regions increases with flow channelization, explaining the structural constraints to local flow. The proposed framework may be used for fast characterization of porous media heterogeneity relative to computationally expensive direct numerical simulations.

Article Highlights

A quantitative assessment of flow channeling is proposed that distinguishes pore-scale flow fields into preferential and stagnant flow regions.

Geometry and topology of the pore network are used to predict the spatial distribution of fast flow paths from structural data alone.

Local disorder of pore networks provides structural constraints for flow separation into preferential v stagnant regions and informs on their velocity contrast.
A Comparison of the “Reduced Losses” and “Increased Production” Models for Mussel Bed Dynamics
Authors: Sherratt Jonathan A. , Liu Quan-Xing , van de Koppel Johan
Published: August 2021

Self-organised regular pattern formation is one of the foremost examples of the development of complexity in ecosystems. Despite the wide array of mechanistic models that have been proposed to understand pattern formation, there is limited general understanding of the feedback processes causing pattern formation in ecosystems, and how these affect ecosystem patterning and functioning. Here we propose a generalised model for pattern formation that integrates two types of within-patch feedback: amplification of growth and reduction of losses. Both of these mechanisms have been proposed as causing pattern formation in mussel beds in intertidal regions, where dense clusters of mussels form, separated by regions of bare sediment. We investigate how a relative change from one feedback to the other affects the stability of uniform steady states and the existence of spatial patterns. We conclude that there are important differences between the patterns generated by the two mechanisms, concerning both biomass distribution in the patterns and the resilience of the ecosystems to disturbances.