bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of Hepatitis E in 2017 in Bavaria, Germany
Authors: Hriskova K. , Marosevic D. , Belting A. , Wenzel J. J. , Carl A. , Katz K.
Published: April 2021

In the last decade, the number of reported hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in Germany, including Bavaria, has continued to rise. In order to identify risk factors associated with HEV infection, we investigated notified hepatitis E cases from Bavaria during 2017. The project “Intensified Hepatitis E Surveillance in Bavaria” included interviews with questionnaires, collection and genotyping of stool, serum and food samples. In addition, certain risk factors were examined in a sample comparison with healthy population using univariable analysis and logistic regression. In total, 135 hepatitis E cases from Bavaria were included in the analysis. Mean age for women was 46 (range 20–74) years and 47.5 (range 20–85) for men. 56 of the cases (41.5%) were asymptomatic. Among the symptomatic cases, both men and women were equally affected with symptoms like fever (16.3%), jaundice (18.8%) and upper abdominal pain (28.2%). 145 human samples (serum, stool) and 6 food samples were collected. 15.9% of the human samples (n = 23) were positive for HEV RNA by reverse-transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Identified risk factors significantly associated with hepatitis E were sausage consumption with odds ratio 9.6 (CI 1.3–70.1), fish with OR 2.2 (CI 1.1–4.4) and cat ownership with OR 1.9 (CI 1.3–3.0) in multivariable analyses. Further investigation is needed to confirm the role of fish in HEV transmission. Autochthonous HEV genotype 3 is prevalent in Bavaria and there could be more transmission routes contributing to the spread of HEV than previously known. Undercooked meat, offal, sausages, fish, shellfish and contact with animals and pets are possible sources for infection.
Groundwater physico-chemical properties and water quality changes in shallow aquifers in arid saline wetlands, Ouargla, Algeria
Authors: Medjani Fethi , Djidel Mohamed , Labar Sofiane , Bouchagoura Louiza , Rezzag Bara Chouaib
Published: April 2021

Shallow aquifers are vulnerable to natural geogenic processes as well as anthropogenic influences, and this is especially apparent in desert regions. Within arid and hyperarid climates, evaporation is a controlling hydrologic process leads to an important increase in the concentration of dissolved minerals of both surface water and groundwater. In groundwater, this increase is not only dependent on shallow water table depth, but also on the hydraulic properties of sediments present within the unsaturated zone of the aquifer itself. The main objective of this research is to investigate possible mechanisms that might influence water quality changes under seasonal conditions in shallow aquifers situated within the Saharan desert region of Algeria. In this work, we focus on observed changes in hydrogeochemical characteristics, and the possible responsible processes. Under arid conditions, high water mineralization results in hypersaline water or brine solution formation within shallow aquifers. Due to active physico-chemical mechanisms such as Na+/Ca2+ ion exchange, the successive precipitation of calcite, gypsum, mirabilite or blœdite and halite is induced. Biological processes were also observed as prevalent; evidenced by large measured variations in CO2 load concentrations. These processes contributed to an inverse relationship between CO2 and O2 concentrations within the shallow aquifers studied.
O-WCNN: an optimized integration of spatial and spectral feature map for arrhythmia classification
Authors: Jangra Manisha , Dhull Sanjeev Kumar , Singh Krishna Kant , Singh Akansha , Cheng Xiaochun
Published: April 2021

The regular monitoring and accurate diagnosis of arrhythmia are critically important, leading to a reduction in mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as heart stroke or cardiac arrest. This paper proposes a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) model for arrhythmia classification. The proposed model offers the following improvements compared with traditional CNN models. Firstly, the multi-channel model can concatenate spectral and spatial feature maps. Secondly, the structural unit is composed of a depthwise separable convolution layer followed by activation and batch normalization layers. The structural unit offers effective utilization of network parameters. Also, the optimization of hyperparameters is done using Hyperopt library, based on Sequential Model-Based Global Optimization algorithm (SMBO). These improvements make the network more efficient and accurate for arrhythmia classification. The proposed model is evaluated using tenfold cross-validation following both subject-oriented inter-patient and class-oriented intra-patient evaluation protocols. Our model achieved 99.48% and 99.46% accuracy in VEB (ventricular ectopic beat) and SVEB (supraventricular ectopic beat) class classification, respectively. The model is compared with state-of-the-art models and has shown significant performance improvement.
Process R&D investment and social dilemmas
Authors: Ramsza Michal , Karbowski Adam , Platkowski Tadeusz
Published: April 2021

We consider a coopetitive game model of firms’ behavior in process R&D with entry cost. We compare the competitive behavior of firms in R&D with the R&D coopetition scenario. In R&D coopetition, firms engage in a bargaining process to reach a binding R&D agreement. We find that R&D competition can lead to a prisoner’s dilemma or a chicken game between market rivals. The possibility of entering a binding R&D agreement resolves the above social dilemmas associated with the firms’ competitive behavior. In turn, under R&D coopetition, for a medium level of R&D entry cost, firms may enter a trust dilemma, but it is a beneficial scenario in comparison with the corresponding R&D competition outcome.
Antikörper-Therapie bei Osteoporose: Mechanismen, Therapieziele und Outcomes
Authors: Muschitz Christian
Published: April 2021

Antikörper zur Behandlung von Patientinnen und Patienten mit Osteoporose und einem erhöhten Knochenbruchrisiko sind effizient, sicher und einfach in der Anwendung. Für Denosumab liegen wissenschaftliche Daten über einen Beobachtungszeitraum von zehn Jahren vor. Romosozumab ist eine potente, rasch wirksame Behandlungsoption für Hochrisiko-Patienten.
Die Wirkung von unterschiedlichen Formen von co-teaching auf die von den Schülerinnen und Schülern wahrgenommene Unterrichtsqualität in inklusiven Klassen
Authors: Moser Opitz Elisabeth , Maag Merki Katharina , Pfaffhauser Rico , Stöckli Meret , Garrote Ariana
Published: April 2021

Die Zusammenarbeit der Lehrkräfte und damit verbunden co-teaching gilt als zentrale Bedingung für die Durchführung von gelingendem inklusiven Unterricht. Allerdings fehlen bislang längsschnittliche Studien zur Frage, ob und wie Schüler*innen unterschiedliche Formen von co-teaching sowie deren Auswirkungen auf Merkmale der Unterrichtsqualität wahrnehmen. In der Studie wird längsschnittlich untersucht, inwiefern sich die Wahrnehmung der Lernunterstützung (Beziehung Lehrkraft-Schüler*innen, Lernbegleitung, Lernklima) und der Klassenführung von 621 Lernenden aus 36 Grundschulklassen in Abhängigkeit zweier verschiedener Formen von co-teaching im Verlauf eines Schuljahres verändert. In der Experimentalgruppe (n = 331, 18 Klassen) wurden die Lehrkräfte zum co-teaching verpflichtet und Unterstützungsmaßnahmen (sonderpädagogische Unterstützung, Deutsch als Zweitsprache DaZ) wurden konsequent unterrichtsintegriert von den Regelklassenlehrkräften angeboten. Fachkräfte (DaZ, Sonderpädagogik) waren ausschließlich beratend tätig. In der Kontrollgruppe (n = 290, 18 Klassen aus denselben Schulgemeinden wie in der Experimentalgruppe) gab es weder eine Verpflichtung zum gemeinsamen Unterrichten noch Vorgaben für ein bestimmtes Unterrichtssetting. Die direkte Arbeit der Fachkräfte mit den Schüler*innen war möglich. Die Schüler*innen wurden am Ende der zweiten und dritten Klasse zur Wahrnehmung der Lernunterstützung und der Klassenführung befragt. Mehrebenenanalytische Auswertungen zeigten, dass sich die Wahrnehmung der Lernunterstützung und der Klassenführung in der Experimentalgruppe negativer entwickelt hatte als in der Kontrollgruppe. Der Effekt bei der Klassenführung war am stärksten, jener beim Lernklima am geringsten und nur noch tendenziell signifikant (p= 0,067). Diese Ergebnisse könnten auf mangelnde Absprachen und unklare Verantwortlichkeiten, auf Unruhe bei klassenintegriertem Arbeiten, oder auf eine fehlende individuelle und spezifische Förderung der Schüler*innen zurückgeführt werden.
Mit den Augen Susan Sontags: Metaphern im Umgang mit COVID-19
Authors: Krug Henriette
Published: April 2021

In der Erfahrung, Kommunikation und Bewältigung von Krankheit spielen Metaphern eine wichtige Rolle: Als Denkkonzepte spiegeln sie zugrundeliegende Haltungen gegenüber den durch sie beschriebenen Vorgängen wider. Susan Sontag hat mit ihrem Essay „Illness as Metaphor“ nachhaltig die moralisch kritischen Implikationen einer unreflektierten Metaphernverwendung im Umgang mit Erkrankung aufgezeigt, indem sie deren stigmatisierende und hierin zusätzlich belastende Wirkung für Erkrankte reflektiert.

In der gegenwärtigen Situation der Covid-19-Pandemie trifft ein bisher unbekanntes Virus mit der Macht und Dynamik der Globalisierung auf die hierauf nicht vorbereiteten spätmodernen Gegenwartsgesellschaften, die nun nach Erklärung und Sinnzuschreibung suchen. Auch hier fungieren Metaphern als Denkkonzepte und Vehikel von Interpretation. Im Rückgriff auf die Perspektive Susan Sontags und ihren Appell für einen entmystifizierten Umgang mit Krankheit geht dieser Beitrag folgenden Fragen nach: Welche Bilder werden in der Berichterstattung über CoV‑2 vermittelt? Welche Einstellung gegenüber Gesundheit und Krankheit wird mit den Metaphern transportiert, und welche Lebenshaltung liegt dieser zugrunde? Welche Einsichten für einen gesunden Umgang mit Covid-19 und Krankheit generell ergeben sich, wenn man die Pandemie aus ihren Metaphern und zugrundliegenden Denkkonzepten herausschält?
Smooth input preparation for quantum and quantum-inspired machine learning
Authors: Zhao Zhikuan , Fitzsimons Jack K. , Rebentrost Patrick , Dunjko Vedran , Fitzsimons Joseph F.
Published: April 2021

Machine learning has recently emerged as a fruitful area for finding potential quantum computational advantage. Many of the quantum-enhanced machine learning algorithms critically hinge upon the ability to efficiently produce states proportional to high-dimensional data points stored in a quantum accessible memory. Even given query access to exponentially many entries stored in a database, the construction of which is considered a one-off overhead, it has been argued that the cost of preparing such amplitude-encoded states may offset any exponential quantum advantage. Here we prove using smoothed analysis that if the data analysis algorithm is robust against small entry-wise input perturbation, state preparation can always be achieved with constant queries. This criterion is typically satisfied in realistic machine learning applications, where input data is subjective to moderate noise. Our results are equally applicable to the recent seminal progress in quantum-inspired algorithms, where specially constructed databases suffice for polylogarithmic classical algorithm in low-rank cases. The consequence of our finding is that for the purpose of practical machine learning, polylogarithmic processing time is possible under a general and flexible input model with quantum algorithms or quantum-inspired classical algorithms in the low-rank cases.
Modelling Pasty Material Behaviour Using the Discrete Element Method
Authors: Platzer Felix , Fimbinger Eric
Published: April 2021

Mixtures of a fine-grained dry solid and a liquid, with a higher solid content in the mixture, show paste-like behaviour. In many technical processes, pasty materials are handled in large quantities. Pasty Materials show the same characteristics as Bingham Plastics, behaving like a rigid body but flowing like a viscous fluid under a certain stress level. This behaviour is due to attracting forces between the particles, resulting from the capillary pressure and the surface tension of the liquid, which forms individual capillary bridges or capillary bridge clusters between the solid particles. The behaviour of granular material can be represented in a discrete element method (DEM) simulation. The calibration of the simulation parameters is achieved by comparing laboratory tests, which reflect a typical material characteristic, with the results of calibration simulations. In this project, several DEM contact models, describing attractive forces between particles depending on the distance between them, were analysed and assessed based on their ability to display the pasty material behaviour of a fine-grained solid water mixture with a high water content by comparing the simulation results to a slump test. The most promising contact model was then optimised to enable a minimal computing time for the simulation of bigger technical processes. Many existing contact models also consider attractive forces between particles (e.g. JKR cohesion) but are based on different physical effects. For this reason, the contact models assessed in the course of this project are, in general, based on the capillary effect.
Integration of light and hormone signaling pathways in the regulation of plant shade avoidance syndrome
Authors: Liu Yang , Jafari Fereshteh , Wang Haiyang
Published: April 2021

As sessile organisms, plants are unable to move or escape from their neighboring competitors under high-density planting conditions. Instead, they have evolved the ability to sense changes in light quantity and quality (such as a reduction in photoactive radiation and drop in red/far-red light ratios) and evoke a suite of adaptative responses (such as stem elongation, reduced branching, hyponastic leaf orientation, early flowering and accelerated senescence) collectively termed shade avoidance syndrome (SAS). Over the past few decades, much progress has been made in identifying the various photoreceptor systems and light signaling components implicated in regulating SAS, and in elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms, based on extensive molecular genetic studies with the model dicotyledonous plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, an emerging synthesis of the field is that light signaling integrates with the signaling pathways of various phytohormones to coordinately regulate different aspects of SAS. In this review, we present a brief summary of the various cross-talks between light and hormone signaling in regulating SAS. We also present a perspective of manipulating SAS to tailor crop architecture for breeding high-density tolerant crop cultivars.
Being Able to Stay or Learning to Stay: a Study of Rural Boys’ Educational Orientations and Transitions
Authors: Stenseth Anna-Maria , Bæck Unn-Doris K.
Published: April 2021

This study explores the influence of geographical location on young pupils’ educational orientations and their transition from lower to upper secondary school; it pays particular attention to the voices of male youths from a rural area. More specifically, it investigates the interplay between gender and geographical contexts and the significance of these factors in understanding the processes associated with educational orientations. Margaret Archer’s framework is used to analyse how pupils’ agency is constrained and/or enabled by objective structures. The data material consists of qualitative interviews with 18 pupils transitioning from lower to upper secondary school in Norway. Each of the pupils was interviewed twice: first when they were in their last year of lower secondary education, and then during their first year of upper secondary education. The findings show that pupils consider geographical locations when making decisions about further education and work. In addition, they believe that education beyond compulsory schooling benefits their life in the rural areas. However, unlike their urban counterparts, pupils from rural areas appear to have a more constraining transition to upper secondary education. Through the analyses in this article, it becomes clear that both geographical location and gender are key factors for understanding processes connected to education.
Does Consent Engender Compliance? Insights from Empirical Research on International Tribunals
Authors: Montal Florencia
Published: April 2021

Zachary Mollengarden and Noam Zamir base their conclusion that the Monetary Gold principle should be abandoned on both legal considerations and policy implications. These two elements, however, do not receive equal attention in the article. This essay unpacks the authors’ dismissal of the idea that, by subjecting jurisdiction to consent, the principle makes compliance with awards from the ICJ more likely. Based on the notion that judicial decisions should be understood as embedded within wider political bargains, I contend that while consent might be indicative of states’ willingness to abide by a judicial decision, what ultimately matters for changing state policy towards compliance is the set of incentives that states face in the context of these wider political bargains. Thus, the essay argues, in line with Mollengarden and Zamir, that abandoning the Monetary Gold principle need not make the Court less effective. However, it will not necessarily make it more impactful either. Beyond Monetary Gold and in relation to its role in world politics more broadly, the Court's impact rests, ultimately, on how political actors––including the ICJ itself––mobilize rulings strategically.
Negativity in the news and electoral behavior between first- and second-order elections
Authors: Mancosu Moreno , Seddone Antonella , Bobba Giuliano
Published: April 2021

The effects of news coverage on political attitudes in election campaigns have been widely studied in academic research. In particular, a fertile branch of the literature investigated the impact of news media negativity on turnout. To date, however, findings are mixed, precluding to state a clear relationship. This paper aims to shed a light on this topic by testing whether negative coverage may affect voters' turnout and to what extent. It approaches this research question by accounting for two different dimensions, controlling whether the interplay of media negativity (press and TV coverage) with the type of election (first- vs. second-order elections) has an impact on citizens' propensity to turnout. We test our hypotheses by taking Italy as a case study because it offers a combination of systemic and media characteristics that allows addressing properly the topic. We rely on four datasets covering the 2018 Italian general elections and the 2019 European Parliament Elections in Italy, respectively, with opinion data (2018 ITANES survey and 2019 ITANES-University of Milan survey) and two datasets measuring media negativity by means of a human content analysis carried out on media coverage during the 7 weeks before the election days (2018 and 2019 ITEM data). Our findings show that individual exposure to negative coverage leads to an increase in turnout mainly to the detriment of indecision. This pattern holds both in first- and second-order elections.
Remembering hope: mediated queer futurity and counterpublics in Turkey’s authoritarian times
Authors: Bayramoğlu Yener
Published: April 2021

This article explores how hope and visions of the future have left their mark on media discourse in Turkey. Looking back at some of the events that took place in the 1980s, a decade that was shaped by the aftermath of the 1980 coup d’état, and considering them alongside what has happened since the ban of Istanbul’s Pride march in 2015, it examines traces of hope in two periods of recent Turkish history characterized by authoritarianism. Drawing on an array of visual and textual material drawn from the tabloid press, magazines, newspapers, and digital platforms, it inquires into how queer hope manages to infiltrate mediated publics even in times of pessimism and hopelessness. Based upon analysis of an archive of discourses on resistance, solidarity, and future, it argues that queer hope not only helps to map out possible future routes for queer lives in (and beyond) Turkey, but also operates as a driving political force that sustains queers’ determination to maintain their presence in the public sphere despite repressive nationalist, militarist, Islamist, and authoritarian regimes.
Overheated stomachs: notes on urban life and toxicity in Nakuru, Kenya
Authors: Rahier Nick
Published: April 2021

In Nakuru, a secondary city in Kenya, herbal doctors argue that African bodies are infested by ‘dirt’. Gathering at crossroads, they teach about the dangerous effects of processed foods on African bodies. During public product demonstrations, they patch together urban gossip,kemikali(chemicals in Kiswahili) and consumer goods from abroad to demonstrate their overheating effects on stomachs. In this article, I think through metabolism and digestion to demonstrate how ‘navigating’ urban toxicity in Nakuru implies a bodily praxis that hinges on debates about the porosity of the nation's borders responding to the afflictions of globalization. I show how the occult character ofkemikalipivots on the collapse between insides and outsides, leading to overheating stomachs, and consequently argue that herbal interventions coating the lining of the stomach and the gut do what national borders are unable to achieve: keeping out toxic intrusions. From this point of view, herbal practices in Nakuru demonstrate agency and resistance to worlds perceived as increasingly toxic and polluted.
Willpower is overrated
Authors: Inzlicht Michael , Friese Malte
Published: April 2021

Any analysis of self-regulation that focuses solely on willpower in conflict-laden situations is insufficient. Research makes clear that the best way to reach one's goal is not to resist temptations but to avoid temptations before they arrive; it further suggests that willpower is fragile and not to be relied on; and that the best self-regulators engage in willpower remarkably seldom.
Resolve is always effortful
Authors: Massin Olivier , Gauchot Bastien
Published: April 2021

Ainslie argues there are two main kinds of willpower: suppression, which is necessarily effortful, and resolve, which is not. We agree with the distinction but argue that all resolve is effortful. Alleged cases of effortless resolve are indeed cases of what Ainslie calls habits, namely stable results of prior uses of resolve.
Self-control from a multiple goal perspective of mixed reward options
Authors: Mayer Zita , Freund Alexandra M.
Published: April 2021

We introduce a distinct type of choice that has yet to be addressed by self-control research: Choosing between activities that offer both delayed and immediate rewards. We describe when and why such mixed-reward choices pose challenges to self-control, and suggest that self-control in mixed-reward choices may be supported (rather than undermined) by delay discounting.
Is “willpower” a scientific concept? Suppressing temptation contra resolution in the face of adversity
Authors: Khalil Elias L.
Published: April 2021

The distinction that Ainslie draws among the triple-phenomena “suppression,” “resolve,” and “habit” is a great advance in decision making theory. But the conceptual machinery “willpower,” and its underpinning distinction between small/soon (SS) rewards as opposed to large/later (LL) rewards, provides a faulty framework to understand the triple-phenomena.
It's not a bug, it's boredom: Effortful willpower balances exploitation and exploration
Authors: Bieleke Maik , Wolff Wanja
Published: April 2021

The continuous revaluation of rewards lies at the core of Ainslie's account of willpower. Yet, he does not explicate the underlying experiential mechanisms. We draw upon theoretical, neuroscientific, and computational evidence to demonstrate that boredom evokes revaluation. By biasing behavior toward exploration, boredom necessitates effortful willpower to balance it against exploitation, thereby rendering suppression a highly adaptive function of willpower.
Self-organization of power at will
Authors: Tzafestas Elpida
Published: April 2021

We challenge and extend Ainslie's top-down view of willpower as a dual function, resolve and suppression. Instead, we propose an alternative self-organizational view of the motivational system as a network of urges, incentives, drives, and so on that interact dynamically. With such a view, resolve, suppression, and other functions emerge under certain environmental and social conditions for certain personality profiles.
Perceptual validation of vowel normalization methods for variationist research
Authors: Barreda Santiago
Published: April 2021

The evaluation of normalization methods sometimes focuses on the maximization of vowel-space similarity. This focus can lead to the adoption of methods that erase legitimate phonetic variation from our data, that is, overnormalization. First, a production corpus is presented that highlights three types of variation in formant patterns: uniform scaling, nonuniform scaling, and centralization. Then the results of two perceptual experiments are presented, both suggesting that listeners tend to ignore variation according to uniform scaling, while associating nonuniform scaling and centralization with phonetic differences. Overall, results suggest that normalization methods that remove variation not according to uniform scaling can remove legitimate phonetic variation from vowel formant data. As a result, although these methods can provide more similar vowel spaces, they do so by erasing phonetic variation from vowel data that may be socially and linguistically meaningful, including a potential male-female difference in the low vowels in our corpus.
Genetic characterization of novel polymorphic microsatellite markers for Epilobium nankotaizanense (Onagraceae), an endemic and threatened herb in Taiwan
Authors: Tseng Yu-Wei , Huang Chi-Chun , Wang Chih-Chiang , Li Chiuan-Yu , Hung Kuo-Hsiang
Published: April 2021

Epilobium belongs to the family Onagraceae, which consists of approximately 200 species distributed worldwide, and some species have been used as medicinal plants. Epilobium nankotaizanense is an endemic and endangered herb that grows in the high mountains in Taiwan at an elevation of more than 3300 m. Alpine herbs are severely threatened by climate change, which leads to a reduction in their habitats and population sizes. However, only a few studies have addressed genetic diversity and population genetics. In the present study, we developed a new set of microsatellite markers for E. nankotaizanense using high-throughput genome sequencing data. Twenty polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed and tested on 30 individuals collected from three natural populations. These loci were successfully amplified, and polymorphisms were observed in E. nankotaizanense. The number of alleles per locus (A) ranged from 2.000 to 3.000, and the observed (Ho) and expected (He) heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 0.929 and from 0.034 to 0.631, respectively. The developed polymorphic microsatellite markers will be useful in future conservation genetic studies of E. nankotaizanense as well as for developing an effective conservation strategy for this species and facilitating germplasm collections and sustainable utilization of other Epilobium species.
Policy Feedback and Interdependence in American Federalism: Evidence from Rooftop Solar Politics
Authors: Trachtman Samuel
Published: April 2021

Scholars have long understood the American states as “laboratories of democracy,” exploring how mechanisms of learning and competition lead to the diffusion of successful state policy experiments across the federal system. Drawing from policy feedback literature, I develop a new framework for studying policy interdependence in American federalism. I argue that state policies can, in addition to promoting learning and competition, also feed into the interest group politics in other states. Broadly speaking, the organized interests that benefit from, and are strengthened by, particular policy reforms might apply newfound strength to propagate them. Empirically, I study rooftop solar policy, an area in which state-level decisions have been fundamental to industry growth and the emergence of installers as political actors. Bringing together a variety of administrative, lobbying, and policy data, I demonstrate that solar installers used resources accumulated in early adopter of favorable rooftop solar policies to influence policy decisions elsewhere. For reformers, I suggest that subnational policy can be a crucial ingredient in building coalitions for (geographically) broader policy reform.
Husten – eine interdisziplinäre Krankheit
Authors: Pavlov Nikolay , Seif Verena , Günther Gunar
Published: April 2021

Zusammenfassung. Husten ist eine der häufigsten Ursachen für ambulante Konsultationen. Während in der Primärversorgung der akute Husten (< 2 Wochen Dauer) und der subakute Husten (2 bis 8 Wochen Dauer) im Vordergrund stehen, erfordert der chronische Husten (> 8 Wochen Dauer) oft eine differenzierte fachärztliche Diagnostik und Therapie. Beim akuten und subakuten Husten stehen aus pneumologischer Sicht infektiöse Ursachen im Vordergrund. Chronischer Husten wird mehrheitlich durch obstruktive Atemwegserkrankungen, Refluxerkrankungen und das upper airway cough syndrom ausgelöst. Dabei spielen diagnostisch die Spirometrie, Bodyplethysmographie, Eosinophilenmessung im Blut, das exhalierte Stickstoffmonoxid (FeNO), Methacholinprovokationstestung, Röntgen und Computertomographie eine wesentliche Rolle. Husten und besonders chronischer Husten sollte möglichst durch effiziente Therapie der Grunderkrankung behandelt werden, wobei Sekret-lösende und manchmal Husten-dämpfende Substanzen nur zur symptomatischen Therapie bei Leidensdruck des Patienten genutzt werden. Bei chronisch refraktärem und chronisch idiopathischem Husten steht mit Gefapixant möglicherweise demnächst eine spezifische, das Hustenzentrum modulierende Substanz zur Verfügung.
The TSIS‐1 Hybrid Solar Reference Spectrum
Authors: Coddington O. M. , Richard E. C. , Harber D. , Pilewskie P. , Woods T. N. , Chance K. , Liu X. , Sun K.
Published: April 2021

We present a new solar irradiance reference spectrum representative of solar minimum conditions between solar cycles 24 and 25. The Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor‐1 (TSIS‐1) Hybrid Solar Reference Spectrum (HSRS) is developed by applying a modified spectral ratio method to normalize very high spectral resolution solar line data to the absolute irradiance scale of the TSIS‐1 Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM) and the CubeSat Compact SIM (CSIM). The high spectral resolution solar line data are the Air Force Geophysical Laboratory ultraviolet solar irradiance balloon observations, the ground‐based Quality Assurance of Spectral Ultraviolet Measurements In Europe Fourier transform spectrometer solar irradiance observations, the Kitt Peak National Observatory solar transmittance atlas, and the semi‐empirical Solar Pseudo‐Transmittance Spectrum atlas. The TSIS‐1 HSRS spans 202–2730 nm at 0.01 to ∼0.001 nm spectral resolution with uncertainties of 0.3% between 460 and 2365 nm and 1.3% at wavelengths outside that range.
Smartrock Transport From Seconds to Seasons: Shear Stress Controls on Gravel Diffusion Inferred From Hop and Rest Scaling
Authors: Pretzlav Kealie L. G. , Johnson Joel P. L. , Bradley D. Nathan
Published: April 2021

Our ability to test probabilistic models linking clast movements to bedload diffusion is most limited by basic field data, because measuring transport statistics during natural floods is difficult. We embedded accelerometers and gyroscopes into artificial cobbles, and measured transport during 28 daily snowmelt floods in Halfmoon Creek, Colorado, USA. The tracers captured ≈6 orders of temporal magnitude of rest durations in one data set for the first time. Motions and rests suggest a scaling transition around ≈12.5 min from subdiffusion to superdiffusion with increasing shear stress and timescale. We interpret that diurnal hydrograph cyclicity may cause another diffusion scaling break at ≈12 h. Shear stress controls and scaling uncertainties may explain differences in diffusion exponents found in several field data sets, suggesting that gravel superdiffusion scaling may be relatively universal over minutes to seasons. Methodologically, “smartrocks” can quantify field transport probabilities previously only possible in laboratory experiments.
Where and Why Do Submarine Canyons Remain Connected to the Shore During Sea‐Level Rise? Insights From Global Topographic Analysis and Bayesian Regression
Authors: Bernhardt Anne , Schwanghart Wolfgang
Published: April 2021

The efficiency of sediment routing from land to the ocean depends on the position of submarine canyon heads with regard to terrestrial sediment sources. We aim to identify the main controls on whether a submarine canyon head remains connected to terrestrial sediment input during Holocene sea‐level rise. Globally, we identified 798 canyon heads that are currently located at the 120m‐depth contour (the Last Glacial Maximum shoreline) and 183 canyon heads that are connected to the shore (within a distance of 6 km) during the present‐day highstand. Regional hotspots of shore‐connected canyons are the Mediterranean active margin and the Pacific coast of Central and South America. We used 34 terrestrial and marine predictor variables to predict shore‐connected canyon occurrence using Bayesian regression. Our analysis shows that steep and narrow shelves facilitate canyon‐head connectivity to the shore. Moreover, shore‐connected canyons occur preferentially along active margins characterized by resistant bedrock and high river‐water discharge.
Siamese Earthquake Transformer: A Pair‐Input Deep‐Learning Model for Earthquake Detection and Phase Picking on a Seismic Array
Authors: Xiao Zhuowei , Wang Jian , Liu Chang , Li Juan , Zhao Liang , Yao Zhenxing
Published: April 2021

Earthquake detection and phase picking play a fundamental role in studying seismic hazards and the Earth’s interior. Many deep‐learning‐based methods, including the state‐of‐the‐art model called Earthquake Transformer (EqT), have made considerable progress. However, the processing of low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) seismograms remains a challenge. Here, we present a pair‐input deep‐learning model called Siamese Earthquake Transformer (S‐EqT), which achieves good performance on low SNR seismograms using the latent information in the deep‐learning black box of the pre‐trained EqT model on a seismic array. We compare the EqT and S‐EqT models on 2 weeks of continuous seismograms recorded by stations around northern Los Angeles region in California. In addition to showing a good performance similar to the EqT model on high SNR seismograms, the S‐EqT model retrieves ∼40% more reliable picks from low SNR seismograms, resulting in better earthquake characterizations. Our method provides a novel perspective on earthquake monitoring by highlighting the importance of hidden responses inside a deep‐learning model and shows its great potential for seismology.
Interaction of Saturn’s Hexagon With Convective Storms
Authors: Sánchez‐Lavega A. , García‐Melendo E. , del Río‐Gaztelurrutia T. , Hueso R. , Simon A. , Wong M. H. , Ahrens‐Velásquez K. , Soria M. , Barry T. , Go C. , Foster C.
Published: April 2021

In March 2020, a convective storm erupted at planetographic latitude 76°N in the southern flank of Saturn’s long‐lived hexagonal wave. The storm reached a zonal size of 4,500 km and developed a tail extending zonally 33,000 km. Two new short‐lived storms erupted in May in the hexagon edge. These storms formed after the convective storms that took place in 2018 in nearby latitudes. There were no noticeable changes in the zonal profile of Saturn's polar winds in 2018–2020. Measurements of the longitude position of the vertices of the hexagon throughout this period yield a value for its period of rotation equal to that of System III of radio rotation measured at the time of Voyagers. We report changes in the hexagon clouds related to the activity of the storms. Our study reinforces the idea that Saturn’s hexagon is a well‐rooted structure with a possible direct relationship with the bulk rotation of the planet.
Recent Dark Pyroclastic Deposits on Mercury
Authors: Xiao Zhiyong , Xu Rui , Wang Yichen , Chang Yiren , Xu Ru , Cui Jun
Published: April 2021

Understanding the origin of volatiles and identifying opaque phases on the surface of Mercury are important tasks to be completed to understand the planet's building blocks and early evolution. Pyroclastic deposits, typically featuring higher and steeper reflectance spectra than the global average, are a bridge connecting the two tasks. We report the first discovery of dark pyroclastic deposits on Mercury, which exhibit identical morphology and geometry with typical reddish pyroclastics but comparable reflectances to low‐reflectance materials (LRM). Two Kuiperian‐aged dark pyroclastic deposits and many potential older ones are discovered. Reflectance spectra for one Kuiperian‐aged pyroclastic deposit exhibits an absorption feature attributable to graphite, indicating incomplete exsolution of C from the pre‐eruption magma and/or a dominance of blasted country rocks in the pyroclastics. Our second Kuiperian‐aged case and also ∼12.5% of the global LRM exhibit no graphite or other absorption features, and metallic iron may be the alternative darkening phase.
Comparison of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function in treatment resistant unipolar and bipolar depression
Authors: Markopoulou Kalypso , Fischer Susanne , Papadopoulos Andrew , Poon Lucia , Rane Lena J. , Fekadu Abebaw , Cleare Anthony J.
Published: April 2021

Altered functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been demonstrated in patients with treatment-resistant depression, although studies have often conflated patients with unipolar and bipolar depression. This is problematic given that the two groups often present with opposed neurovegetative symptom patterns. The aim of this study was to test, for the first time, whether post-awakening cortisol, a highly reliable, naturalistic measure of HPA functioning, could distinguish patients with clearly defined treatment-resistant unipolar (TRUD) and bipolar depression (TRBD). A total of 37 patients with TRUD, 17 patients with TRBD, and 47 healthy controls were recruited. Areas under the curve (AUC) with respect to the ground (g) and increase (i) of post-awakening cortisol concentrations (awakening, +15, +30, +45, +60, +90 min) were measured over two days. Patients with TRUD had higher total cortisol production in the morning hours compared to controls (AUCg,p = 0.01), while they did not differ in terms of the awakening response (AUCi,p = 0.28). By contrast, subjects with TRBD had lower total cortisol when compared to controls by trend (AUCg,p = 0.07), while they did not differ in the awakening response (AUCi,p = 0.15). A direct comparison of TRUD and TRBD revealed differences in the AUCg (p = 0.003) and AUCi (p = 0.03). This finding of comparatively elevated HPA axis activity in the morning in TRUD and attenuated HPA axis activity in TRBD attests to a fundamental biological distinction between unipolar and bipolar depression. It has implications for the understanding and treatment of bipolar depression and in differentiating the two types of depression.
PXDN reduces autophagic flux in insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes via modulating FoxO1
Authors: Li Chan , Liu Zhaoya , Xu Qian , Peng Huihui , Cao Jing , Zhou Honghua , Zhang Guogang , Cheng Guangjie , Shi Ruizheng
Published: April 2021

Autophagy, a well-observed intracellular lysosomal degradation process, is particularly important to the cell viability in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Peroxidasin (PXDN) is a heme-containing peroxidase that augments oxidative stress and plays an essential role in cardiovascular diseases, while whether PXDN contributes to the pathogenesis of DCM remains unknown. Here we reported the suppression of cell viability and autophagic flux, as shown by autophagosomes accumulation and increased expression level of LC3-II and p62 in cultured H9C2 and human AC16 cells that treated with 400 μM palmitate acid (PA) for 24 h. Simultaneously, PXDN protein level increased. Moreover, cell death, autophagosomes accumulation as well as increased p62 expression were suppressed by PXDN silence. In addition, knockdown of PXDN reversed PA-induced downregulated forkhead box-1 (FoxO1) and reduced FoxO1 phosphorylation, whereas did not affect AKT phosphorylation. Not consistent with the effects of si-PXDN, double-silence of PXDN and FoxO1 significantly increased cell death, suppressed autophagic flux and declined the level of FoxO1 and PXDN, while the expression of LC3-II was unchanged under PA stimulation. Furthermore, inhibition of FoxO1 in PA-untreated cells induced cell death, inhibited autophagic flux, and inhibited FoxO1 and PXDN expression. Thus, we come to conclusion that PXDN plays a key role in PA-induced cell death by impairing autophagic flux through inhibiting FoxO1, and FoxO1 may also affect the expression of PXDN. These findings may develop better understanding of potential mechanisms regarding autophagy in insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes.
Nonadiabatic dynamics of cobalt tricarbonyl nitrosyl for ligand dissociation induced by electronic excitation
Authors: Lee Yeonghun , Kolesov Grigory , Yao Xiaolong , Kaxiras Efthimios , Cho Kyeongjae
Published: April 2021

We utilize real-time time-dependent density functional theory and Ehrenfest dynamics scheme to investigate excited-state nonadiabatic dynamics of ligand dissociation of cobalt tricarbonyl nitrosyl, Co(CO)3NO, which is a precursor used for cobalt growth in advanced technologies, where the precursor’s reaction is enhanced by electronic excitation. Based on the first-principles calculations, we demonstrate two dissociation pathways of the NO ligand on the precursor. Detailed electronic structures are further analyzed to provide an insight into dynamics following the electronic excitations. This study sheds light on computational demonstration and underlying mechanism of the electronic-excitation-induced dissociation, especially in molecules with complex chemical bonds such as the Co(CO)3NO.
The pattern-recognition molecule H-ficolin in relation to diabetic kidney disease, mortality, and cardiovascular events in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Østergaard Jakob Appel , Jansson Sigfrids Fanny , Forsblom Carol , Dahlström Emma H. , Thorn Lena M. , Harjutsalo Valma , Flyvbjerg Allan , Thiel Steffen , Hansen Troels Krarup , Groop Per-Henrik
Published: April 2021

H-ficolin recognizes patterns on microorganisms and stressed cells and can activate the lectin pathway of the complement system. We aimed to assess H-ficolin in relation to the progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), all-cause mortality, diabetes-related mortality, and cardiovascular events. Event rates per 10-unit H-ficolin-increase were compared in an observational follow-up of 2,410 individuals with type 1 diabetes from the FinnDiane Study. DKD progression occurred in 400 individuals. The unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for progression was 1.29 (1.18–1.40) and 1.16 (1.05–1.29) after adjustment for diabetes duration, sex, HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, and smoking status. After adding triglycerides to the model, the HR decreased to 1.07 (0.97–1.18). In all, 486 individuals died, including 268 deaths of cardiovascular causes and 192 deaths of complications to diabetes. HRs for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were 1.13 (1.04–1.22) and 1.05 (0.93–1.17), respectively, in unadjusted analyses. These estimates lost statistical significance in adjusted models. However, the unadjusted HR for diabetes-related mortality was 1.19 (1.05–1.35) and 1.18 (1.02–1.37) with the most stringent adjustment level. Our results, therefore, indicate that H-ficolin predicts diabetes-related mortality, but neither all-cause mortality nor fatal/non-fatal cardiovascular events. Furthermore, H-ficolin is associated with DKD progression, however, not independently of the fully adjusted model.
Analysis of IgM, IgA, and IgG isotype antibodies Directed against SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and ORF8 in the course of COVID-19
Authors: Meinberger Denise , Koch Manuel , Roth Annika , Hermes Gabriele , Stemler Jannik , Cornely Oliver A. , Streichert Thomas , Klatt Andreas R.
Published: April 2021

Immunoassays are a standard diagnostic tool that assesses immunity in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, immunoassays do not provide information about contaminating antigens or cross-reactions and might exhibit inaccurately high sensitivity and low specificity. We aimed to gain insight into the serological immune response of SARS-CoV-2 patients by immunoblot analysis. We analyzed serum immunoglobulins IgM, -A, and -G directed against SARS-CoV-2 proteins by immunoblot analysis from 12 infected patients. We determined IgG isotype antibodies by commercially available ELISA and assessed the clinical parameters of inflammation status and kidney and liver injury. Unexpectedly, we found no correlation between the presence of antibodies and the future course of the disease. However, attention should be paid to the parameters CRP, IL-6, and LDH. We found evidence of antibody cross-reactivity, which questions the reliability of results for serum samples that tested negative for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies when assessed by immunoassays. Nevertheless, for the detection of IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, our data suggest that the use of the spike glycoprotein in immunoassays should be sufficient to identify positive patients. Using a combination of the spike glycoprotein and the open reading frame 8 protein could prove to be the best way of detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibodies.
Acute symptomatic vitreous floaters assessed with ultra-wide field scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and spectral domain optical coherence tomography
Authors: Son Gisung , Sohn Joonhong , Kong Mingui
Published: April 2021

To describe the eyes with vitreous floaters and to analyze the development of acute symptomatic posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). A retrospective review of medical records was performed on patients with the vitreous floater developed for the first time of their life. Peripapillary vitreous opacity (pVO) was searched in Ultra-wide field (UWF) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and PVD stage was assessed through spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). 196 patients (55 males and 141 females), who were 58.4 (± 9.1) years old, visited a retinal clinic 9.4 (± 9.1) days after they experienced vitreous floaters. In 196 eyes, pVO was noticed in 122 eyes (62.2%) at UWF. In 106 eyes where SD-OCT data were available, PVD was noticed in 100 eyes (94.3%). Symptomatic eyes showed more advanced stage of PVD (p < 0.001) than symptom free eyes. Eyes with floaters were more myopic (− 0.7 ± 2.2D vs − 0.5 ± 1.9D, p = 0.02), and had lower intraocular pressure (IOP) (14.7 ± 3.2 mmHg vs 15.2 ± 3.0 mmHg, p = 0.02) than the other symptom free eyes. In patients with first floater symptoms, PVD was in progress in most of the eyes not only the symptomatic eyes but also on the contralateral symptom free eyes. Eyes with vitreous floaters were more myopic and had lower IOP than the opposite symptom free eyes.