bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Effect of Morphologies of Fe(III) Metal‐Organic Framework MIL‐88A(Fe) on the Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B
Authors: Viswanathan Vandana P. , Mathew Siji V. , Dubal Deepak P. , Adarsh Nayarassery N. , Mathew Suresh
Published: July 2020

Metal‐organic frameworks built from [Fe3(μ3‐O)(COO)6] clusters and fumaric acid ligand, the so‐called MIL‐88 A(Fe) is a well‐known environment‐friendly promising material for many applications. In this paper, three different morphologies of MIL‐88 A(Fe) such as rod, diamond and spindle have been synthesized separately by reacting FeCl3•6H2O and fumaric acid in 1 : 1 metal‐ligand stoichiometric ratio using two different solvents such as water and DMF via hydrothermal method. The morphology of the products and their particle sizes were obtained using SEM and three distinct morphologies viz., rod, diamond and spindle were clearly distinguished by TEM. All the three samples were characterized by FT‐IR, PXRD, UVDRS, PL, XPS and BET, and the effect of the morphologies of MIL‐88 A(Fe) on the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) was studied under sunlight. The addition of an H2O2 electron acceptor can markedly enhance the photocatalytic Rhodamine B degradation of MIL‐88 A(Fe). Among these three, rod‐shaped morphology of MIL‐88 A(Fe) shows the higher photocatalytic effect for the degradation of Rhodamine B under sunlight due to its lower band gap, high surface area, and lower electron‐hole recombination rate which enable them the transfer of electrons for the photocatalytic degradation. We found that 98% degradation of RhB in 50 min has taken place by using r‐MIL‐88 A(Fe) as the catalyst under sunlight.
Free Radical Triggered Convenient Synthesis of Bis(indolyl)methane with Potassium Peroxodisulfate as Catalyst
Authors: Konwar Dipika , Bora Utpal
Published: July 2020

The free radical triggered convenient synthesis of bis(indolyl)methane using various indole and aldehyde derivatives with potassium peroxodisulfate as catalyst under the ambient conditions is developed. This protocol exhibits a wide range of sterically and electronically diverse substrate scope with good to excellent yield (up to 94 %) of the desired product without aﬀecting the bromo, chloro, iodo, nitro, methoxy, and hydroxyl groups. The experimental observation indicates that the reaction follow a radical pathway.
The corporate parenting advantage, revisited
Authors: Feldman Emilie R.
Published: July 2020

Research Summary

This paper investigates the corporate parenting advantage, the extent to which corporate parents improve the performance of their subsidiaries. Despite the importance of this concept for corporate strategy, researchers have yet to quantify it empirically. I measure the corporate parenting advantage by comparing the performance of utilities that were legally classified into one of two types of holding companies: regulated holding companies, which faced limits on their ability to parent, and exempt holding companies, which did not. I find that observationally similar utilities that were owned by exempt holding companies outperform utilities that were owned by regulated holding companies, and that this performance differential attenuates once the legal restrictions on parenting were lifted. These results provide the first large‐scale empirical evidence of the corporate parenting advantage.

Managerial Summary

By how much do corporate parents improve the performance of their subsidiaries? Despite the importance of this question of the “corporate parenting advantage,” it does not yet have a clear answer. In this paper, I measure the corporate parenting advantage by comparing the performance of utilities that were legally grouped into one of two types of holding companies: regulated holding companies, which faced limits on their ability to parent, and exempt holding companies, which did not. I find that comparable utilities that were owned by regulated holding companies have lower return on assets than utilities that were owned by exempt holding companies, and that this performance difference disappears once the legal restrictions on parenting were lifted. These results provide evidence of the corporate parenting advantage.
A High‐Energy‐Density Hybrid Supercapacitor with P‐Ni(OH)2@Co(OH)2 Core–Shell Heterostructure and Fe2O3 Nanoneedle Arrays as Advanced Integrated Electrodes
Authors: Li Kunzhen , Zhao Bangchuan , Bai Jin , Ma Hongyang , Fang Zhitang , Zhu Xuebin , Sun Yuping
Published: July 2020

Transition metal hydro/oxides (TMH/Os) are treated as the most promising alternative supercapacitor electrodes thanks to their high theoretical capacitance due to the various oxidation states and abundant cheap resources of TMH/Os. However, the poor conductivity and logy reaction kinetics of TMH/Os severely restrict their practical application. Herein, hierarchical core–shell P‐Ni(OH)2@Co(OH)2 micro/nanostructures are in situ grown on conductive Ni foam (P‐Ni(OH)2@Co(OH)2/NF) through a facile stepwise hydrothermal process. The unique heterostructure composed of P‐Ni(OH)2 rods and Co(OH)2 nanoflakes boost the charge transportation and provide abundant active sites when used as the intergrated cathode for supercapacitors. It delivers an ultrahigh areal specific capacitance of 4.4 C cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 and the capacitance can maintain 91% after 10 000 cycles, showing an ultralong cycle life. Additionally, a hybrid supercapacitor composed with P‐Ni(OH)2@Co(OH)2/NF cathode and Fe2O3/CC anode shows a wider voltage window of 1.6 V, a remarkable energy density of 0.21 mWh cm−2 at the power density of 0.8 mW cm−2, and outstanding cycling stability with about 81% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. This innovative study not only supplies a newfashioned electronic apparatus with high‐energy density and cycling stability but offers a fresh reference and enlightenment for synthesizing advanced integrated electrodes for high‐performance hybrid supercapacitors.
Efficient Bifunctional Catalytic Electrodes with Uniformly Distributed NiN2 Active Sites and Channels for Long‐Lasting Rechargeable Zinc–Air Batteries
Authors: Cai Zihe , Lin Shengxuan , Xiao Jiajia , Muhmood Tahir , Chen Yuhang , Wang Yifan , Hu Xiaobin , Zheng Lirong
Published: July 2020

Freestanding bifunctional electrodes with outstanding oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) properties are of great significance for zinc–air batteries, attributed to the avoided use of organic binder and strong adhesion with substrates. Herein, a strategy is developed to fabricate freestanding bifunctional electrodes from the predeposited nickel nanoparticles (Ni‐NCNT) on carbon fiber paper. The steric effect of monodispersed SiO2 nanospheres limits the configuration of carbon atoms forming 3D interconnected nanotubes with uniformly distributed NiN2 active sites. The bifunctional electrodes (Ni‐NCNT) demonstrate ideal ORR and OER properties. The zinc–air batteries assembled with Ni‐NCNT directly exhibit extremely outstanding long term stability (2250 cycles with 10 mA cm−2 charge/discharge current density) along with high power density of 120 mV cm−2 and specific capacity of 834.1 mA h g−1. This work provides a new view to optimize the distribution of active sites and the electrode structure.
Research on the maturity of big data management capability of intelligent manufacturing enterprise
Authors: Ge Jing , Wang Feng , Sun Hongxia , Fu Liuliu , Sun Mingwei
Published: July 2020

From the perspective of intelligent manufacturing, combined with cyber‐physical system, big data, Internet of things, cloud computing, industrial transformation and value chain concepts, this paper studies digital manufacturing, also called intelligent manufacturing. Intelligent manufacturing is explored from the perspective of the supply chain and industry chain. In this paper, other topics in the integrated big data‐driven intelligent manufacturing is also discussed.
Report of the Nomenclature Committee for Fossils: 13
Authors: Herendeen Patrick S.
Published: July 2020

The following three generic names are recommended for conservation: Vestispora against Reticulatasporites, Acitheca against Strephopteris, and Lyginopteris against Dictyoxylon. The following species name is recommended for conservation: Cyclostigma kiltorkense against Lepidodendron griffithii, L. minutum, and Sigillaria dichotoma. The following two family names are recommended for conservation: Umkomasiaceae against Zuberiaceae, and Discinitaceae against Palaeopteridiaceae and Saaropteridaceae. The following two generic names are not recommended for conservation: Autophyllites against Bryon, and Protocupressinoxylon with a conserved type against Protobrachyoxylon. The following one species name is not recommended for conservation: Autophyllites furcatus against Bryon crispatum. The Committee judged the differential diagnosis for the name Pinites to be adequate for valid publication. The Committee judged the descriptive statements associated with Celastrophyllum Göpp., Celastrophyllum Ettingsh. ex Saporta & Marion, and Celastrophyllum Ettingsh. ex Schimp. to be inadequate for valid publication. In addition, this report includes a summary of a re‐evaluation of the date and place of publication of the generic name Cardiocarpus Brongn., which had been called into question.
Analytic double-soft integrated subtraction terms for two massive emitters in a back-to-back kinematics
Authors: Bizoń Wojciech , Delto Maximilian
Published: July 2020

Abstract

We consider the double-soft limit of QCD amplitudes with two massive quarks in a back-to-back kinematics accompanied by two soft partons. We integrate analytically the respective double-soft eikonal functions over the phase space of the two soft partons. Within the context of the nested soft-collinear subtraction scheme, our results may serve as one of the integrated subtraction terms needed for the analytic and fully-differential description of next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections to colour-singlet decay into massive partons or to heavy-quark pair production.
Ovals in $${\mathbb {Z}}^2_{2p}$$
Authors: Stȩpień Zofia
Published: July 2020

By an oval in$${\mathbb {Z}}^2_{2p},$$Z2p2,podd prime, we mean a set of$$2p+2$$2p+2points, such that no three of them are on a line. It is shown that ovals in$${\mathbb {Z}}^2_{2p}$$Z2p2only exist for$$p=3,5$$p=3,5and they are unique up to an isomorphism.
Is antibiotic prophylaxis necessary in mid-urethral sling surgery?
Authors: Svenningsen Rune , Kulseng-Hanssen Sigurd , Kråkenes Ellen Bettina Casanova , Schiøtz Hjalmar August
Published: July 2020

Introduction and hypothesis

Antibiotic prophylaxis is commonly used when implanting a mid-urethral sling (MUS) for female stress urinary incontinence. Use of antibiotics may lead to adverse events and the development of antibiotic resistance. This study compared a variety of outcomes after MUS surgery with and without antibiotic prophylaxis using data from the national Norwegian Female Incontinence Registry.

Methods

Preoperative and 6–12 months postoperative subjective and objective data from 28,687 patients who received MUS surgery from 1998 through 2017 were extracted from the registry. Categorical outcomes were compared between women with or without antibiotic prophylaxis using chi-square test for independence. Primary outcome was incidence of postoperative surgical site infection (SSI). Secondary outcomes were incidence of tape exposure, de novo or persistent urgency urinary incontinence, postoperative pain > 3 months, subjective and objective cure rates, and patient satisfaction.

Results

Antibiotic prophylaxis was used in 9131 and not used in 19,556 patients. SSIs and prolonged postoperative pain occurred significantly more often without antibiotic prophylaxis. Subjective and objective cure rates were significantly higher and tape exposures significantly lower in women not receiving prophylactic antibiotics. There were no significant differences in other outcomes.

Conclusions

Antibiotic prophylaxis resulted in fewer women developing postoperative infections or prolonged postoperative pain after MUS surgery, but did not offer protection against tape exposure. The differences in cure rates were small and probably without clinical relevance. If a small increase in surgical site infections is accepted, the routine use of antibiotic prophylaxis can probably be omitted.
Action force modulates action binding: evidence for a multisensory information integration explanation
Authors: Cao Liyu , Steinborn Michael , Kunde Wilfried , Haendel Barbara
Published: July 2020

Action binding refers to the observation that the perceived time of an action (e.g., a keypress) is shifted towards the distal sensory feedback (usually a sound) triggered by that action. Surprisingly, the role of somatosensory feedback for this phenomenon has been largely ignored. We fill this gap by showing that the somatosensory feedback, indexed by keypress peak force, is functional in judging keypress time. Specifically, the strength of somatosensory feedback is positively correlated with reported keypress time when the keypress is not associated with an auditory feedback and negatively correlated when the keypress triggers an auditory feedback. The result is consistent with the view that the reported keypress time is shaped by sensory information from different modalities. Moreover, individual differences in action binding can be explained by a sensory information weighting between somatosensory and auditory feedback. At the group level, increasing the strength of somatosensory feedback can decrease action binding to a level not being detected statistically. Therefore, a multisensory information integration account (between somatosensory and auditory inputs) explains action binding at both a group level and an individual level.
Neutral effect of an invasive plant species with specialized flower structure on native pollinator communities
Authors: Szigeti Viktor , Fenesi Annamária , Soltész Zoltán , Berki Boglárka , Kovács-Hostyánszki Anikó
Published: July 2020

Invasive plants modify native plant communities with serious consequences on plant-pollinator interactions. Invasion by common milkweed (Asclepias syriacaL.) threatens natural and agricultural habitats in Europe, with unknown effects on pollinators. Its special flower structure, habitat requirements and phenology offer novel insights into pollination ecology aspects of plant invasion. We compared flowering plant and pollinator communities between invaded and control sites, and the flower visitors between native plants and common milkweed. Wild bees and hoverflies did not differ in abundance, diversity and community composition between the invaded and control sites. However, honey bees and bumble bees preferred milkweed above native plants during milkweed flowering. In contrast to many studies, our results suggest neutral effect of plant invasion on the sampled aspects of diurnal wild pollinator community, while providing resources for a few pollinator taxa. This neutral effect might be explained by the long-term, wide scale distribution of milkweed and/or its typically relatively low coverage compared to many other invasive plants, enabling the persistence of some native flowering species. However, its special flower structure offers nectar only for a few common pollinators, including honey bee, and it decreases abundance of native flowers in spring with unknown consequences on wild bees’ reproduction success. Despite the lack of direct negative effects on wild pollinators, restoration of invaded habitats to promote native floral communities is suggested to enable diverse, longer lasting foraging resources for wild pollinators and honey bees. Promoting actively wildflower habitats might be vital for beekeepers in the case of milkweed eradication.
Unmet Need for Mental Healthcare in a Population Sample in Sweden: A Cross-Sectional Study of Inequalities Based on Gender, Education, and Country of Birth
Authors: Olsson Sara , Hensing Gunnel , Burström Bo , Löve Jesper
Published: July 2020

This cross-sectional study investigated if gender, education, and country of birth were associated with perceived need and unmet need for mental healthcare (i.e., refraining from seeking care, or perceiving care as insufficient when seeking it). Questionnaire and register data from 2008 were collected for 3987 individuals, aged 19–64 years, in a random population-based sample from western Sweden. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were used. Men were less likely to perceive a need for care than were women, even after adjusting for mental well-being. Men were also less likely to seek care and perceiving care as sufficient. People with secondary education were less likely to seek care than those with university education. There were no statistically significant differences based on country of birth. The observed gender and education-based inequalities increases our understanding of where interventions can be implemented. These inequalities in unmet need for mental healthcare should be targeted by the healthcare system.
Cognitive Fusion Mediates the Impact of Attachment Imagery on Paranoia and Anxiety
Authors: Sood Monica , Newman-Taylor Katherine
Published: July 2020

Background

Paranoia, in both clinical and non-clinical groups, is characterised by unfounded interpersonal threat beliefs. Secure attachment imagery attenuates paranoia, but little is known about the mechanisms of change. Cognitive fusion describes the extent to which we can ‘step back’ from compelling beliefs, to observe these as mental events, and is implicated in psychopathology cross-diagnostically.

Aims

This study extends previous research demonstrating the impact of attachment imagery on paranoia and anxiety to determine whether cognitive fusion mediates these relationships.

Method

We utilised a randomized experimental design and recruited an analogue sample with high levels of non-clinical paranoia to test the impact of imagery and the role of cognitive fusion.

Results

Secure attachment imagery resulted in reduced paranoia and anxiety compared to threat/insecure imagery. Cognitive fusion mediated the relationships between imagery and paranoia, and imagery and anxiety.

Conclusions

Secure attachment imagery is effective in reducing paranoia and anxiety and operates via cognitive fusion. In clinical practice, these interventions should seek to facilitate the ability to ‘step back’ from compelling threat beliefs, in order to be most beneficial.
Short-term effects of deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, fumonisin B1 or ochratoxin on lipid peroxidation and glutathione redox system and its regulatory genes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) liver
Authors: Kövesi Benjámin , Kulcsár Szabina , Zándoki Erika , Szabó-Fodor Judit , Mézes Miklós , Balogh Krisztián , Ancsin Zsolt , Pelyhe Csilla
Published: July 2020

The effects of a single oral dose of 1.82 mg kg−1 bw of T-2 and HT-2 toxin (T-2), 1.75 mg kg−1 bw deoxynivalenol (DON) and 15-acetyl DON, 1.96 mg kg−1 bw fumonisin B1 (FB1) or 1.85 mg kg−1 bw ochratoxin A (OTA) were investigated in common carp juveniles on lipid peroxidation, the parameters of the glutathione redox system including the expression of their encoding genes in a short-term (24 h) experiment. Markers of the initiation phase of lipid peroxidation, conjugated dienes, and trienes, were slightly affected by DON and OTA treatment at 16-h sampling. The termination marker, malondialdehyde, concentration increased only as an effect of FB1. Glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase activity showed significantly higher levels in the T-2 and FB1 groups at 8 h, and in the DON and FB1 groups at 16 h. The expression of glutathione peroxidase genes (gpx4a, gpx4b) showed a dual response. Downregulation of gpxa was observed at 8 h, as the effect of DON, FB1, and OTA, but an upregulation in the T-2 group. At 16 h gpx4a upregulated as an effect of DON, T-2, and FB1, and at 24 h in the DON and T-2 groups. Expression of gpx4b downregulated at 8 h, except in the T-2 group, and upregulation observed as an effect of T-2 at 24 h. The lack of an increase in the expression of nrf2, except as the effect of DON at 8 h, and a decrease in the keap1 expression suggests that the antioxidant defence system was activated at gene and protein levels through Keap1–Nrf2 independent pathways.
Young Adults with High Autistic-Like Traits Displayed Lower Food Variety and Diet Quality in Childhood
Authors: Panossian Catherine , Lyons-Wall Philippa , Whitehouse Andrew , Oddy Wendy H. , Lo Johnny , Scott Jane , O’Sullivan Therese A.
Published: July 2020

This study explored the association between autistic-like traits in young adults and dietary intake in early childhood in the Gen2 Raine Study cohort. Data were available from 811 participants at years 1, 2 and 3 for the assessment of dietary intake, and at year 20 for measurement of autistic-like traits. Results showed as autistic-like traits increased, total food variety, core food variety and dairy variety decreased (p < 0.05), with a lower consumption of citrus fruits and yoghurt (both p = 0.04). As autistic-like traits increased, diet quality decreased, this trend was significant at 2 years (p = 0.024). Our results suggest that young adults with higher autistic-like traits were more likely to have had lower food variety and diet quality in early childhood.
Use of acoustic emission in combination with machine learning: monitoring of gas–liquid mixing in stirred tanks
Authors: Forte Giuseppe , Alberini Federico , Simmons Mark , Stitt Hugh E.
Published: July 2020

Operations involving gas–liquid agitated vessels are common in the biochemical and chemical industry; ensuring good contact between the two phases is essential to process performance. In this work, a methodology to compute acoustic emission data, recorded using a piezoelectric sensor, to evaluate the gas–liquid mixing regime within gas–liquid and gas–solid–liquid mixtures was developed. The system was a 3L stirred tank equipped with a Rushton Turbine and a ring sparger. Whilst moving up through the vessel, gas bubbles collapse, break or coalesce generating sound waves transmitted through the wall to the acoustic transmitter. The system was operated in different flow regimes (non-gassed condition, loaded and complete dispersion) achieved by varying impeller speed and gas flow rate, with the objective to feed machine learning algorithms with the acoustic spectrum to univocally identify the different conditions. The developed method allowed to successfully recognise the operating regime with an accuracy higher than 90% both in absence and presence of suspended particles.
Development and validation of an automated FEM-based design optimization tool for continuum compliant structures
Authors: Coemert Suat , Yalvac Baturay , Bott Vincent , Sun Yilun , Lueth Tim C.
Published: July 2020

This paper presents a design optimization method for continuum compliant structures. The developed optimization tool enables automated design, analysis and optimization of the compliant structures in a single simulation environment. The associated algorithm used automatically analyses the stress distribution occurring under certain loading and deformation conditions of initial designs defined by the user, adjusts a uniform stress distribution among individual flexure hinges by automated dimensioning and finalizes the design by integrating mechanical stops automatically matched with the kinematic capacity of individual hinges. In order to prove the advantages of the proposed optimization method, validation tests were performed under static and dynamic loading conditions. Results of the experiments showed that, compared to the non-optimized ones, optimized structures with the developed tool exhibit more uniform curvatures which indicate more even stress distribution among the individual hinges; up to 25% value increase in terms of maximum bearable load and maximum permissible deflection angle; less plastic deformation in case of overloading and up to 100% increased fatigue life.
Longitudinal associations of light-intensity physical activity with quality of life, functioning and fatigue after colorectal cancer
Authors: van Roekel E. H. , Duchâteau J. , Bours M. J. L. , van Delden L. , Breedveld-Peters J. J. L. , Koole J. L. , Kenkhuis M. , van den Brandt P. A. , Jansen R. L. , Kant I. , Lima Passos V. , Meijer K. , Breukink S. O. , Janssen-Heijnen M. L. G. , Keulen E. , Weijenberg M. P.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Evidence from cross-sectional studies suggests that higher levels of light-intensity physical activity (LPA) are associated with better health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. However, these associations have not been investigated in longitudinal studies that provide the opportunity to analyse how within-individual changes in LPA affect HRQoL. We investigated longitudinal associations of LPA with HRQoL outcomes in CRC survivors, from 6 weeks to 2 years post-treatment.

Methods

Data were used of a prospective cohort study among 325 stage I–III CRC survivors (67% men, mean age: 67 years), recruited between 2012 and 2016. Validated questionnaires were used to assess hours/week of LPA (SQUASH) and HRQoL outcomes (EORTC QLQ-C30, Checklist Individual Strength) at 6 weeks, and 6, 12 and 24 months post-treatment. We applied linear mixed regression to analyse longitudinal confounder-adjusted associations of LPA with HRQoL.

Results

We observed statistically significant longitudinal associations between more LPA and better global quality of life and physical, role and social functioning, and less fatigue over time. Intra-individual analysis showed that within-person increases in LPA (per 8 h/week) were related to improved HRQoL, including better global quality of life (β = 1.67, 95% CI 0.71; 2.63; total range scale: 0–100) and less fatigue (β = − 1.22, 95% CI − 2.37; − 0.07; scale: 20–140). Stratified analyses indicated stronger associations among participants below the median of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at diagnosis.

Conclusion

Higher levels of LPA were longitudinally associated with better HRQoL and less fatigue in CRC survivors up to two years post-treatment. Further prospective studies using accelerometer data are necessary to inform development of interventions targeting LPA.
The European Union Current Asylum Policy: Selected Problems in the Shadow of COVID-19
Authors: Doliwa-Klepacka Anna , Zdanowicz Mieczysława
Published: July 2020

Recent years in Europe have generated situations requiring the European Union to take extra-coordinated action in the field of asylum policy. The sudden and growing influx of refugees to Europe in 2015 and 2016 has caused the collapse of the previous common European asylum system. The European Union has taken a number of measures to resolve this crisis situation. When the situation seemed to be under control, a new challenge emerged in early 2020. The first COVID-19 infectious disease case was reported in Europe, and on 13 March 2020 the WHO reported that Europe had become the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic. The measures taken by individual countries and the European Union to limit the spread of the virus have had a significant impact on many spheres of state and individual functioning, including the situation of persons seeking international protection. This publication consists of three parts. The first part discusses actions taken by the European Union in the face of the migration and refugee crisis that emerged in 2015 and 2016. The second part presents one of the limitations introduced in connection with preventing the spread of COVID-19, which has a huge impact on persons wishing to seek international protection, i.e., changes in the regime of crossing borders and entering the territory of particular countries. The third one points out selected problems experienced by persons seeking protection who already stay in the territory of EU Member States.
The Effect of Fixed-Term Employment on Well-Being: Disentangling the Micro-Mechanisms and the Moderating Role of Social Cohesion
Authors: Scheuring Sonja
Published: July 2020

This paper examines the impact of fixed-term employment on well-being from a cross-national comparative perspective by testing (1) the effect heterogeneity across European countries, (2) to which extent Jahoda’s Latent Deprivation Model provides a sufficient micro-level explanation for the underlying mechanisms and (3) whether the macro-level factor of social cohesion weakens the micro-level impacts. We investigate the effects in both an upwards (permanent employment) and a downwards (unemployment) comparative control group design. Due to the mediating role of social contacts on the micro-level, we assume social cohesion on the country-level to moderate the main effects: A high degree of societal affiliation should substitute the function of social contacts in the work environment of individuals. Using microdata from the European Social Survey (ESS) 2012 for 23 countries and applying multilevel estimation procedures, we find that there is a remarkable variation in the effects across countries. Even though in each country fixed-term employees have a lower subjective well-being compared to permanent ones, the point estimates vary from .17 to 1.19 units. When comparing fixed-term employees to unemployed individuals, the coefficients even range from − .27 to 1.25 units. More specifically, a negative effect indicates that having a fixed-term contract is worse than unemployment in some countries. Moreover, pooled linear regression models reveal that Jahoda’s Latent Deprivation Model explains about three-quarters of the micro-level effect sizes for both directions. Eventually, social cohesion on the country-level diminishes the individual-level well-being differences between fixed-term employees and permanent individuals but not between fixed-term employees and the unemployed.
Rate of venous thromboembolism in a prospective all-comers cohort with COVID-19
Authors: Rieder Marina , Goller Isabella , Jeserich Maren , Baldus Niklas , Pollmeier Luisa , Wirth Luisa , Supady Alexander , Bode Christoph , Busch Hans-Jörg , Schmid Bonaventura , Duerschmied Daniel , Gauchel Nadine , Lother Achim
Published: July 2020

COVID-19 is associated with a variety of clinical complications including coagulopathy, which frequently results in venous thromboembolism (VTE). Retrospective analyses reported a markedly increased rate of VTEs in COVID-19. However, most recent studies on coagulopathy in COVID-19 were only focused on critically ill patients, and without suitable control groups. We aimed to evaluate the rate of VTEs in an all-comers cohort with suspected COVID-19 during a 30-days follow-up period. We also studied the level of D-dimers and their association with the course of disease. In our prospective single-center study (DRKS00021206, 03/30/2020), we analyzed 190 patients with suspected COVID-19 admitted to the emergency department between March and April 2020. Forty-nine patients were SARS-CoV-2 positive (25.8%). The 141 SARS-CoV-2-negative patients served as control group. After completion of a 30-days follow-up, VTE was diagnosed in 3 patients of the SARS-CoV-2-positive group (6.1%, amongst these 2 ICU cases) versus 5 patients in the SARS-CoV-2-negative group (3.5%), however the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.427). 30-days mortality was similar in both groups (6.1% vs. 5%, p = 0.720). Disease severity correlated with the maximum level of D-dimers during follow-up in COVID-19. The rate of VTE was numerically higher in SARS-CoV-2 positive all-comers presenting with suspected COVID-19 as compared to well-matched controls suffering from similar symptoms. VTEs in the COVID-19 group predominantly occurred in ICU courses. The maximum level of D-dimers during follow-up was associated with disease severity in COVID-19, whereas the level of D-dimers at admission was not.
Efficient Hardware Architectures for 1D- and MD-LSTM Networks
Authors: Rybalkin Vladimir , Sudarshan Chirag , Weis Christian , Lappas Jan , Wehn Norbert , Cheng Li
Published: July 2020

Recurrent Neural Networks, in particular One-dimensional and Multidimensional Long Short-Term Memory (1D-LSTM and MD-LSTM) have achieved state-of-the-art classification accuracy in many applications such as machine translation, image caption generation, handwritten text recognition, medical imaging and many more. However, high classification accuracy comes at high compute, storage, and memory bandwidth requirements, which make their deployment challenging, especially for energy-constrained platforms such as portable devices. In comparison to CNNs, not so many investigations exist on efficient hardware implementations for 1D-LSTM especially under energy constraints, and there is no research publication on hardware architecture for MD-LSTM. In this article, we present two novel architectures for LSTM inference: a hardware architecture for MD-LSTM, and a DRAM-based Processing-in-Memory (DRAM-PIM) hardware architecture for 1D-LSTM. We present for the first time a hardware architecture for MD-LSTM, and show a trade-off analysis for accuracy and hardware cost for various precisions. We implement the new architecture as an FPGA-based accelerator that outperforms NVIDIA K80 GPU implementation in terms of runtime by up to 84× and energy efficiency by up to 1238× for a challenging dataset for historical document image binarization from DIBCO 2017 contest, and a well known MNIST dataset for handwritten digits recognition. Our accelerator demonstrates highest accuracy and comparable throughput in comparison to state-of-the-art FPGA-based implementations of multilayer perceptron for MNIST dataset. Furthermore, we present a new DRAM-PIM architecture for 1D-LSTM targeting energy efficient compute platforms such as portable devices. The DRAM-PIM architecture integrates the computation units in a close proximity to the DRAM cells in order to maximize the data parallelism and energy efficiency. The proposed DRAM-PIM design is 16.19 × more energy efficient as compared to FPGA implementation. The total chip area overhead of this design is 18 % compared to a commodity 8 Gb DRAM chip. Our experiments show that the DRAM-PIM implementation delivers a throughput of 1309.16 GOp/s for an optical character recognition application.
State-of-the-art of intelligent minimally invasive surgical robots
Authors: Fujie Masakatsu G. , Zhang Bo
Published: July 2020

A number of developed countries are rapidly turning into super-aged societies. Consequently, the demand for reduced surgical invasiveness and enhanced efficiency in the medical field has increased due to the need to reduce the physical burden on older patients and shorten their recovery period. Intelligent surgical robot systems offer high precision, high safety, and reduced invasiveness. This paper presents a review of current intelligent surgical robot systems. The history of robots and three types of intelligent surgical robots are discussed. The problems with current surgical robot systems are then analyzed. Several aspects that should be considered in designing new surgical systems are discussed in detail. The paper ends with a summary of the work and a discussion of future prospects for surgical robot development.
Field validation of imaging an adjacent borehole using scattered P-waves
Authors: Ben Jian-Lin , Qiao Wen-Xiao , Che Xiao-Hua , Ju Xiao-Dong , Lu Jun-Qiang , Men Bai-Yong
Published: July 2020

Acoustic waves enter a rock formation from a borehole and are reflected or scattered upon encountering a geologic structure. Consequently, we obtain the structure location represented by the azimuth and distance from the borehole using the acoustic reflection or scattering. Downhole acoustic measurements with the azimuthal resolution are realized using an azimuthal acoustic receiver sonde composed of several arcuate phased array receivers. Eight sensors distributed evenly across the arcuate phased array receiver can record acoustic waves independently; this allows us to adopt the beamforming method. We use a supporting logging tool to conduct the downhole test in two adjacent fluid-filled boreholes, for validating the evaluation of the geologic structure using scattered P-waves. The test results show the multi-azimuth images of the target borehole and the azimuthal variation in scattering amplitudes. Thus, we obtain the precise location of the target borehole. Furthermore, the measured values of the target borehole are consistent with the actual values, indicating that we can accurately evaluate a near-borehole geologic structure with scattered P-waves.
Phylogenetic analysis of the tribe Neanurini questions tribal classification of the subfamily Neanurinae (Collembola: Neanuridae)
Authors: Smolis Adrian , Paśnik Grzegorz
Published: July 2020

Multiple lines of evidence provided support for the monophyly of the subfamily Neanurinae. Nevertheless, relationships among and within its tribes are largely unknown. The tribe Neanurini, being the second largest within Neanurinae, comprises over 170 species belonging to 29 genera, distributed in the northern hemisphere only, except two species that have been distributed worldwide presumably by human activities. A cladistic analysis of the tribe was reconstructed based on 68 morphological characters. The ingroup comprises 39 species, representing extant genera of Neanurini, including monotypic genera, while outgroups include 5 species of each known tribe according to Cassagnau’s tribal classification. Both equal- and implied-weighting parsimony analyses were used in phylogenetic reconstruction. The cladistic analyses were based on a comprehensive survey of adult morphological characters because specimens suitable for molecular studies were not available for most taxa. The phylogenetic analysis resulted in the recognition of the tribe Neanurini as non-monophyletic because three of the five outgroups nested within the members of Neanurini. The generaCaucasanura,Catalanura,Endonura,Kalanura,Neanura,ProtanuraandPumilinurawere recovered as paraphyletic. The genera of Neanurini were subdivided into five clades. Their monophyly and phylogenetic relationships are thoroughly discussed. This phylogeny constitutes a new framework for studying the internal relationships of the tribe Neanurini and the subfamily Neanurinae.
Machine learning-based models for predicting permeability impairment due to scale deposition
Authors: Ahmadi Mohammadali , Chen Zhangxin
Published: July 2020

Water injection is one of the robust techniques to maintain the reservoir pressure and produce trapped oil from oil reservoirs and improve an oil recovery factor. However, incompatibility between injected water and reservoir water causes an unflavored issue named “scale deposition.” Owing to the deposited scales, effective permeability of a reservoir reduced, and pore throats might be plugged. To determine formation damage owing to scale deposition during a water injection process, two well-known machine learning methods, least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) and artificial neural network (ANN), are employed in the present paper. To improve the performance of the LSSVM method, a metaheuristic optimization algorithm, genetic algorithm (GA), is used. The constructed LSSVM model is examined using real formation damage data samples experimentally measured, which was reported in the literature. According to the obtained outputs of the above models, LSSVM has a high performance based on the correlation coefficient, and infinitesimal uncertainty based on a relative error between the model predictions and the corresponding actual data samples was less than 15%. Outcomes from this study indicate the useful application of the LSSVM approach in the prediction of permeability reduction due to scale deposition, and it can lead to a better and more reliable understanding of formation damage effects through water flooding without expensive laboratory measurements.
Winter severity and anthropogenic factors affect spatial behaviour of red deer in the Carpathians
Authors: Bojarska Katarzyna , Kurek Katarzyna , Śnieżko Stanisław , Wierzbowska Izabela , Król Wiesław , Zyśk-Gorczyńska Ewa , Baś Grzegorz , Widera Elżbieta , Okarma Henryk
Published: July 2020

Spatial ecology of red deer Cervus elaphus is shaped by both natural and anthropogenic factors. We used radio telemetry to investigate factors affecting habitat selection on two spatial scales, home range sizes and migratory behaviour of red deer (N = 8 individuals) in two mountain ranges of the western Carpathians in 2004–2007. The two study areas differed in terms of environmental conditions: Beskid Sądecki had higher altitudes, higher human population and road density and milder winters than Beskid Niski. Red deer in both areas selected forests and avoided agricultural habitats on both spatial scales. Elevation affected site selection only in Beskid Sądecki: deer selected higher altitudes for their home ranges, but lower altitudes within them. Deer avoided major roads when selecting their home ranges in both sites, but only in Beskid Sądecki, they also avoided roads within their home ranges. Deer in both study sites selected locations closer to supplementary feeding sites in winter. In years with more severe winters, deer in Beskid Niski displayed seasonal migration to south-facing slopes. Deer in Beskid Sadecki showed short-distance altitudinal movements from low elevations in winter to high elevations in summer, and a short-term descent to low elevations in August–September. Our results fit the general concept that climatic conditions and human-related factors shape spatial behaviour in ungulates, and that snow conditions are particularly important for migration. Climate change will likely contribute to diminishing migration in red deer in the Carpathians.
A consistently oriented basis for eigenanalysis
Authors: Damask Jay
Published: July 2020

Repeated application of eigen-centric methods to an evolving dataset reveals that eigenvectors calculated by well-established computer implementations are not stable along an evolving sequence. This is because the sign of any one eigenvector may point along either the positive or negative direction of its associated eigenaxis, and for any one eigenfunction call, the sign does not matter when calculating a solution. This work reports a model-free algorithm that creates a consistently oriented basis of eigenvectors. The algorithm postprocesses any well-established eigen call and is therefore agnostic to the particular implementation of the latter. Once consistently oriented, directional statistics can be applied to the eigenvectors in order to track their motion and summarize their dispersion. When a consistently oriented eigensystem is applied to methods of machine learning, the time series of training weights becomes interpretable in the context of the machine-learning model. Ordinary linear regression is used to demonstrate such interpretability. A reference implementation of the algorithm reported herein has been written in Python and is freely available, both as source code and through the Python package.
High Salt Intake Impairs Erectile Function in Salt-Sensitive Rats Through Mineralocorticoid Receptor Pathway Beyond Its Effect on Blood Pressure
Authors: Kishimoto Tomoteru , Kataoka Tomoya , Yamamoto Yuka , Asano Gakuto , Fukamoto Ayako , Hotta Yuji , Maeda Yasuhiro , Takahashi Masayuki , Kanayama Hiro-omi , Kimura Kazunori
Published: July 2020

Background

High salt intake is a risk factor for hypertension, which can potentially lead to erectile dysfunction (ED); however, the underlying pathological mechanisms remain unclear.

Aim

To investigate whether erectile function is directly impaired by high salt intake and whether selective inhibition of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) could provide protection from ED.

Methods

6-week-old male Dahl salt-sensitive rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal diet (0.3% NaCl; control, n = 8), high-salt diet (8% NaCl; HS, n = 8), and high-salt diet plus eplerenone (HS + EPL, n = 11). HS + EPL rats were orally administered daily doses of EPL (75 mg/kg) for 6 weeks; control and HS rats received purified water on the same schedule.

Outcomes

At the end of the study period, erectile function was evaluated by measuring intracavernosal pressure and mean arterial pressure after cavernous nerve stimulation. Serum levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine and L-arginine were determined using ultraperformance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Quantitative PCR was used to assess the expression of MR, inflammation, and oxidative stress markers (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase-1/4, p22phox, interleukin-6, and superoxide dismutase-1), and protein arginine N-methyltransferase-1.

Results

The intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure ratio was significantly lower, whereas systolic blood pressure, MR expression, serum asymmetric dimethylarginine levels, oxidative stress, and levels of inflammatory biomarkers were significantly higher in HS rats than in control rats (P < .05). EPL administration significantly improved each of these parameters except systolic blood pressure and MR expression. No significant intergroup differences were observed for L-arginine and superoxide dismutase-1 levels.

Clinical Translation

Our results provide a rationale for the need of salt restriction and the use of selective MR inhibitors in prophylaxis or treatment of ED in men consuming a high-salt diet.

Strengths & Limitations

We are the first to report that the adverse impact of high salt intake on erectile function is mediated via MR activation, independent of its effect on blood pressure. A major limitation of this study is that responses of salt-resistant rats were not studied.

Conclusions

High salt intake directly impaired erectile function in Dahl salt-sensitive rats, whereas selective MR inhibition ameliorated this effect.