bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tritordeum breads are well tolerated with preference over gluten‐free breads in non‐celiac wheat‐sensitive patients and its consumption induce changes in gut bacteria
Authors: Sánchez‐León Susana , Haro Carmen , Villatoro Myriam , Vaquero Luis , Comino Isabel , González‐Amigo Ana B , Vivas Santiago , Pastor Jorge , Sousa Carolina , Landa Blanca B , Barro Francisco
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

The ingestion of wheat and other cereals are related to several gut disorders. The specific components responsible for non‐celiac wheat‐sensitivity (NCWS) may include gluten and other compounds. Tritordeum is a new cereal derived from crossing durum wheat with a wild barley species, which differs from bread wheat in its gluten composition. In the present work, we examined the response of NCWS patients to tritordeum bread Gastrointestinal symptoms as well as tritordeum acceptability, gluten immunogenic peptides excretion, and the composition and structure of the intestinal microbiota were evaluated.

RESULTS

Gastrointestinal symptoms of the subjects showed no significant change between the gluten‐free bread and the tritordeum bread. Participating subjects rated tritordeum bread higher than the gluten‐free bread. Analysis of the bacterial gut microbiota indicated that tritordeum consumption does not alter the global structure and composition of the intestinal microbiota, and only a few changes in some butyrate‐producing bacteria were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

All the results derived from acceptability, biochemical and microbiological tests suggest that tritordeum may be tolerated by a sub‐set of NCWS sufferers who do not require strict exclusion of gluten from their diet. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Integrated analysis of machine learning and deep learning in chili pest and disease identification
Authors: Ahmad Loti Nurul Nabilah , Mohd Noor Mohamad Roff , Chang Siow‐Wee
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

Chili is one of the most important and high‐value vegetable crops worldwide. However, pest and disease infections are among the main limiting factors in chili cultivation. These diseases cannot be eradicated but can be handled and monitored to mitigate the damage. Hence, the use of an automated identification system based on images will promote quick identification of chili disease. The features extracted from the images are of utmost importance to develop such an accurate identification system.

RESULTS

In this research, chili pest and disease features extracted using the traditional approach were compared with features extracted using a deep‐learning‐based approach. A total of 974 chili leaf images were collected, which consisted of five types of diseases, two types of pest infestations, and a healthy type. Six traditional feature‐based approaches and six deep‐learning feature‐based approaches were used to extract significant pests and disease features from the chili leaf images. The extracted features were fed into three machine learning classifiers, namely a support vector machine (SVM), a random forest (RF), and an artificial neural network (ANN) for the identification task. The results showed that deep learning feature‐based approaches performed better than the traditional feature‐based approaches. The best accuracy of 92.10% was obtained with the SVM classifier.

CONCLUSION

A deep‐learning feature‐based approach could capture the details and characteristics between different types of chili pests and diseases even though they possessed similar visual patterns and symptoms. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Inhibition of the lemon brown rot causal agent Phytophthora citrophthora by low‐toxicity compounds
Authors: Olmedo Gabriela M , Baigorria Carina G , Ramallo Ana C , Sepulveda Milena , Ramallo Jacqueline , Volentini Sabrina I , Rapisarda Viviana A , Cerioni Luciana
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

Phytophthora spp., soil‐borne oomycetes, cause brown rot (BR) on postharvest lemons. The management of this disease is based on cultural practices and chemical control using inorganic salts of limited efficacy. In the search for new alternatives, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of low‐toxicity compounds to inhibit the growth of P. citrophthora and to control BR disease on lemons. Sodium bicarbonate, potassium sorbate, polyhexamethylene guanidine, Ascophyllum nodosum extract and a formulation containing phosphite salts plus A. nodosum (P+An) were evaluated.

RESULTS

All tested products inhibited mycelial growth, sporangia formation and zoospore germination of P. citrophthora in vitro. In postharvest applications on artificially inoculated lemons, only P+An exhibited a BR curative effect, with incidence reduction of around 60%. When this formulation was applied in field treatments, BR incidence was reduced by 40% on lemons harvested and inoculated up to 30 days post application.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate the in vitro direct anti‐oomycete effect of low‐toxicity compounds and the in vivo efficacy of P+An formulation to control BR, encouraging the incorporation of the latter in the management of citrus BR. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Canadian Internal Medicine Ultrasound (CIMUS) Expert Consensus Statement on the Use of Lung Ultrasound for the Assessment of Medical Inpatients With Known or Suspected Coronavirus Disease 2019
Authors: Ma Irene W. Y. , Hussain Arif , Wagner Michael , Walker Brandie , Chee Alex , Arishenkoff Shane , Buchanan Brian , Liu Rachel B. , Mints Gregory , Wong Tanping , Noble Vicki , Tonelli Ana Claudia , Dumoulin Elaine , Miller Daniel J. , Hergott Christopher A. , Liteplo Andrew S.
Published: December 2020

Objectives

To develop a consensus statement on the use of lung ultrasound (LUS) in the assessment of symptomatic general medical inpatients with known or suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19).

Methods

Our LUS expert panel consisted of 14 multidisciplinary international experts. Experts voted in 3 rounds on the strength of 26 recommendations as “strong,” “weak,” or “do not recommend.” For recommendations that reached consensus for do not recommend, a fourth round was conducted to determine the strength of those recommendations, with 2 additional recommendations considered.

Results

Of the 26 recommendations, experts reached consensus on 6 in the first round, 13 in the second, and 7 in the third. Four recommendations were removed because of redundancy. In the fourth round, experts considered 4 recommendations that reached consensus for do not recommend and 2 additional scenarios; consensus was reached for 4 of these. Our final recommendations consist of 24 consensus statements; for 2 of these, the strength of the recommendations did not reach consensus.

Conclusions

In symptomatic medical inpatients with known or suspected COVID‐19, we recommend the use of LUS to: (1) support the diagnosis of pneumonitis but not diagnose COVID‐19, (2) rule out concerning ultrasound features, (3) monitor patients with a change in the clinical status, and (4) avoid unnecessary additional imaging for patients whose pretest probability of an alternative or superimposed diagnosis is low. We do not recommend the use of LUS to guide admission and discharge decisions. We do not recommend routine serial LUS in patients without a change in their clinical condition.
Changes in Internal Carotid Artery Doppler Velocity Measurements With Different Angles of Insonation
Authors: Campbell Kari A. , Kupinski Ann Marie , Miele Frank R. , Silva Philip F. , Zierler R. Eugene
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Doppler velocity measurements are fundamental diagnostic criteria for vascular ultrasound examinations. Insonation angles are kept to 60° or less to minimize error. The purpose of this study was to assess variance of Doppler‐detected peak systolic velocity (PSV) measurements in the internal carotid arteries at different angles (45°, 50°, 55°, and 60°) with different beam steering.

Methods

The PSV was recorded from the right and left internal carotid arteries in 22 asymptomatic volunteers with straight vessels (total of 44 vessels). A standardized approach was used for recording velocities with the Doppler cursor center steered and steered 15° from right to left. An analysis of variance was performed.

Results

The PSV varied significantly with the 4 different angles of insonation (P < .01). The maximum variation between 45° and 60° angles within a single vessel was 29 cm/s. The average variation over the 4 angles was 14 ± 6 cm/s. Relative to the calculated mean velocity for all patients, the standard deviation for the PSV at 60° was nearly twice that recorded at 50° (7.9 versus 3.9). The best correlation of the calculated mean velocity for all patients existed between the angles of 45° and 50° [r(36) = 0.92; P < .001 for center‐steered data; and r(40) = 0.96; P < .001 for right‐steered data].

Conclusions

These results indicate a statistically significant difference in the PSV measurements taken at varying Doppler angles. The greatest mean, variance, and lowest correlations all result when using 60°. The findings support the need for consistent ultrasound techniques and suggest that further study is warranted regarding the optimal Doppler angle for velocity measurements.
Does the quarterly accrual anomaly exist in Taiwan's stock market? Evidence from Manager's earnings management
Authors: Wang Ming‐Chang , Ding Yu‐Jia
Published: December 2020

This study investigates the existence of quarterly accrual anomalies in Taiwan's stock market. Our empirical results indicate that the arbitrage portfolios formed by the accounting accruals of the fourth‐quarter financial reports could result in abnormal returns, and thus, inferred that quarterly accrual anomalies exist. We further examined the causes of the accrual anomalies and determined that the manager conduct earnings management behavior during the fourth quarter. Managers execute discretionary accruals for management earnings forecast to meet previously issued financial forecasts, which leads to the fourth‐quarter accrual anomalies. The portfolios formed by using discretionary accruals and management earnings forecasts produce arbitrage portfolios with optimal return.
Ring‐Like Defect Formation in N‐Type Czochralski‐Grown Silicon Wafers during Thermal Donor Formation
Authors: Basnet Rabin , Sio Hang , Siriwardhana Manjula , Rougieux Fiacre E. , Macdonald Daniel
Published: December 2020

This article presents experimental and simulation studies on the formation of recombination‐active ring‐like defects during thermal donor (TD) formation at 450 °C in n‐type Czochralski‐grown silicon wafers. With increasing anneal duration from 1 to 24 h, the resistivity and interstitial oxygen concentration of samples decrease, consistent with the formation of TDs. However, after a subsequent TD annihilation treatment, the resistivity recovers completely, while the interstitial oxygen concentration recovers only partially. Furthermore, the wafers exhibit ring‐like defects in photoluminescence images after the TD generation and remain persistent even after annihilation treatment. By applying a tabula rasa (TR) treatment prior to TD generation anneals, the net loss of interstitial oxygen is reduced, and the incubation time of the ring‐like defects is extended in comparison to as‐grown wafers. Finally, to investigate the possibility of low‐temperature precipitation, simulation of oxygen precipitation (OP) kinetics during the 450 °C annealing steps is performed using an enhanced effective diffusivity of oxygen. These simulations demonstrate that OP can occur simultaneously during TD formation, resulting in recombination‐active ring‐like defects.
The genusCassiaL.: Ethnopharmacological and phytochemical overview
Authors: Khurm Muhammad , Wang Xingbin , Zhang Hui , Hussain Sajid Nawaz , Qaisar Muhammad Naeem , Hayat Khezar , Saqib Fatima , Zhang Xinxin , Zhan Guanqun , Guo Zengjun
Published: December 2020

Nature gifts medicinal plants with the untapped and boundless treasure of active chemical constituents with significant therapeutic potential that makes these plants a beneficial source in the development of phytomedicines. GenusCassia, with approximately 500 species, is a large group of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae.Cassiaspecies are widely distributed throughout different regions mainly tropical Asia, North America, and East Africa. In the folk medicinal history, these plants are used as laxative and purgative agents. In the Ayurveda system of medicine, they are used to cure headache and fever.Cassiaplants exhibit pharmacological activities at large scales such as antimicrobial, anticancer, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hyperglycemic, antimutagenic, and antivirals. The phytochemical investigations of genusCassiademonstrate the presence of more than 200 chemical compounds, including piperidine alkaloids, anthracene derivatives (anthraquinones), flavonoids, pentacyclic triterpenoids, sterols, phenylpropanoids, and γ‐naphthopyrones. The literature illustrated anthraquinones and flavonoids as major secondary metabolites from this genus. However, someCassiaplants, with rich contents of anthraquinones, still show toxicology properties. AsCassiaplants are used extensively in the herbal system of medicine, but only senna dosage forms have achieved the status of the pharmaceutical market as standard laxative agents. In conclusion, further investigations on isolating newer biologically active constituents, unknown underlying mechanisms, toxicology profiles, and clinical studies ofCassiaspecies are needed to be explored. This review article specifies the systematic breach existing between the current scientific knowledge and the fundamentals for the marketization of genusCassiaproducts.
Evaluation of a multi‐sensor for measuring solution electrical conductivity in coir
Authors: Miyamoto Teruhito , Iwata Yukiyoshi , Inaba Satoshi , Kameyama Koji , Dyck Miles
Published: December 2020

The simultaneous measurements of both volumetric water content (θ) and electrical conductivity of pore solutions (ECw) are essential for nutrient solution management within soilless culture systems. The present study was carried out in order to evaluate a capacitance sensor (METER 5TE) for the measurement θ and ECw within coir. Following the evaluation of the spatial sensitivity of the 5TE sensor, a calibration experiment was executed with six levels of θ (0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, and 0.55 m3 m−3) and four levels of KCl solutions (1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 7.0 dS m−1). The measured relationship between θ and dielectric permittivity (εa) for coir significantly deviated from Topp's equation for organic soil, but was similar to the calibration equation for growing media from the sensor manufacturer and for peat soils. The Hilhorst (2000) model recommended by the manufacturer overestimated ECw within coir. On the other hand, accounting for EC dependency on the real part of the complex dielectric permittivity of the solution within the Hilhorst model will greatly improve ECw prediction. In contrast, the Rhoades (1976) model was more capable of describing the dependence of the apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) on θ and ECw for the coir samples for ECa < 2.9 dS m−1. Hence, when ECw−ECa−θ relations are known, the capacitance sensor is a powerful tool for horticultural practices because a single measurement can yield both θ and ECw.
DevOps workflow verification and duration prediction using non‐Markovian stochastic Petri nets
Authors: Ben Mesmia Walid , Escheikh Mohamed , Barkaoui Kamel
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we provide a non‐Markovian Stochastic Petri Net (SPN) model forDevOpsworkflowspecification, and we determine how business processes are carried out. After describing our model semantics, we show how general properties related to liveness and safety can be checked. After that, we provide several extensions onSPNs(SPN) the notation and expressivity to check some specific properties related to actors' (Developers and Operators) availability, interactions between the actors, and execution failures detection linked to theDevOpssteps. Next, we validate the proposed model relevance withMATLABsimulation through a specificDevOpscase study. Finally, we propose a truncated density function to anticipate the delays related to theDevOpsbusiness process overall steps.
Structural Properties and Stability of Inorganic CsPbI3 Perovskites
Authors: Liu Dachang , Shao Zhipeng , Li Chongwen , Pang Shuping , Yan Yanfa , Cui Guanglei
Published: December 2020

All inorganic lead halide perovskites (ILHPs) have recently become one of the research hotspots in the field of photovoltaics. Due to the absence of weakly bonded organic components, ILHPs exhibit excellent thermal stability compared with the hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites. However, the low structural stability against ambient conditions still limits their practical applications. Herein, the phase stability and structural properties of the inorganic CsPbI3 are discussed, followed by a comprehensive review of strategies to improve the performance and stability of CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with respect to material engineering and device configuration engineering. Finally, the challenges of inorganic PSCs and the promising directions to further improve their efficiency and stability are discussed.
Elemental 2D Materials: Progress and Perspectives Toward Unconventional Structures
Authors: Si Jingjing , Yu Jinqiu , Shen Yu , Zeng Mengqi , Fu Lei
Published: December 2020

Elemental 2D materials have attracted a great deal of interest due to their excellent properties for various applications in catalysis, sensing, photonics, intracellular gene regulation, magnetism, superconductivity, and so on. It is broadly accepted that the physicochemical properties are highly associated with their atomic arrangements and coordination. Recent studies have demonstrated that unconventional structures of elemental 2D materials exhibit unexpected physicochemical properties and innovative applications beyond conventional structures. Those unconventional structures bring new life to elemental 2D materials and deserve special attention. However, there are considerable challenges to controllably prepare them due to their metastable characters. Herein, their synthetic strategies are focused on to shed light on the reasonable design of new structures with special atomic arrangements to open up tremendous opportunities for expanding their functionalities and potential applications. In addition, the correlations among the types of unconventional structures, the element types, and corresponding synthetic strategies are uncovered. Finally, based on the achievements in the representative studies, some prospects and potential opportunities for extending the scope of elemental 2D materials with unconventional structures and potentially distinctive applications are provided.
Smart materials for drug delivery and cancer therapy
Authors: Yang Yao , Zeng Weiwei , Huang Ping , Zeng Xiaowei , Mei Lin
Published: December 2020

Until now, enormous smart materials have been engineered with endogenous stimulators such as pH, reactive oxygen species, glutathione, hypoxia and enzyme, or exogenous stimulators such as temperature, light, ultrasound, radiation, and magnetic field in drug delivery. As footstone of stimuli‐responsive nanocarriers, endogenous/exogenous responsive smart materials possess many properties, such as responding ability to specific triggers, controlled drug release, long blood circulation, increased tumor accumulation, “ON‐OFF” switch activities, enhanced diagnostic accuracy, and therapeutic efficacy. Smart materials have attracted considerable attention because they provide likelihood strategy for individualized and comprehensive therapy. In this review, significant research achievements of smart materials responsive to different triggers including their synthesis and formulation mechanism, responsive mechanism, applications, multiple functions are summarized and discussed separately. We primarily focus on the studies in the past few years (2017‐2020). The current situation and remaining challenges of stimuli‐sensitive materials‐based nanocarriers for clinical translation are discussed rationally at the end. It is hope that this timely and overall review would provide some helpful information for researchers in this field.
The role of lignin in wood working processes using elevated temperatures: an abbreviated literature survey
Authors: Börcsök Zoltán , Pásztory Zoltán
Published: December 2020

The lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses in wood are polymers that behave similarly to the artificial polymers and are bonded together in wood. Lignin differs from the other two substances by its highly branched, amorphous, three-dimensional structure. Under appropriate conditions, the moist lignin incorporated in the wood softens at about 100 °C and allows the molecules of it to deform in the cell walls. There are many advantages and disadvantages to this phenomenon. If we know this process accurately and the industrial areas where it matters, we may be able to improve these industrial processes. This article provides a brief theoretical summary of lignin softening and the woodworking processes where it plays a role: wood welding, pellet manufacturing, manufacturing binderless boards, solid wood bending, veneer manufacturing, and solid wood surface densification.
NGS-guided precision oncology in metastatic breast and gynecological cancer: first experiences at the CCC Munich LMU
Authors: Sultova Elena , Westphalen C. Benedikt , Jung Andreas , Kumbrink Joerg , Kirchner Thomas , Mayr Doris , Rudelius Martina , Ormanns Steffen , Heinemann Volker , Metzeler Klaus H. , Greif Philipp A. , Burges Alexander , Trillsch Fabian , Mahner Sven , Harbeck Nadia , Wuerstlein Rachel
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Comprehensive genomic profiling identifying actionable molecular alterations aims to enable personalized treatment for cancer patients. The purpose of this analysis was to retrospectively assess the impact of personalized recommendations made by a multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) on the outcome of patients with breast or gynecological cancers, who had progressed under standard treatment. Here, first experiences of our Comprehensive Cancer Center Molecular Tumor Board are reported.

Methods

All patients were part of a prospective local registry. 95 patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer or gynecological malignancies underwent extended molecular profiling. From May 2017 through March 2019, the MTB reviewed all clinical cases considering tumor profile and evaluated molecular alterations regarding further diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations.

Results

95 patients with metastatic breast or gynecological cancers were discussed in the MTB (68% breast cancer, 20% ovarian cancer, 5% cervical cancer, 3% endometrial cancer and 4% others). Genes with highest mutation rate were PIK3CA and ERBB2. Overall, 34 patients (36%) received a biomarker-based targeted therapy recommendation. Therapeutic recommendations were implemented in nine cases; four patients experienced clinical benefit with a partial response or disease stabilization lasting over 4 months.

Conclusion

In the setting of a multidisciplinary molecular tumor board, a small but clinically meaningful group of breast and gynecological cancer patients benefits from comprehensive genomic profiling. Broad and successful implementation of precision medicine is complicated by patient referral at late stage disease and limited access to targeted agents and early clinical trials.

Trial registration number

284-10 (03.05.2018).
Spatial and temporal analyses of perfluorooctanoic acid in drinking water for external exposure assessment in the Ruhr metropolitan area, Germany
Authors: Rathjens Jonathan , Becker Eva , Kolbe Arthur , Ickstadt Katja , Hölzer Jürgen
Published: December 2020

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and related chemicals among the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are widely distributed in the environment. Adverse health effects may occur even at low exposure levels. A large-scale contamination of drinking water resources, especially the rivers Möhne and Ruhr, was detected in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in summer 2006. As a result, concentration data are available from the water supply stations along these rivers and partly from the water network of areas supplied by them. Measurements started after the contamination’s discovery. In addition, there are sparse data from stations in other regions. Further information on the supply structure (river system, station-to-area relations) and expert statements on contamination risks are available. Within the first state-wide environmental-epidemiological study on the general population, these data are temporally and spatially modelled to assign estimated exposure values to the resident population. A generalized linear model with an inverse link offers consistent temporal approaches to model each station’s PFOA data along the river Ruhr and copes with a steeply decreasing temporal data pattern at mainly affected locations. The river’s segments between the main junctions are the most important factor to explain the spatial structure, besides local effects. Deductions from supply stations to areas and, therefore, to the residents’ risk are possible via estimated supply proportions. The resulting potential correlation structure of the supply areas is dominated by the common water supply from the Ruhr. Other areas are often isolated and, therefore, need to be modelled separately. The contamination is homogeneous within most of the areas.
Real-world study of direct medical and indirect costs and time spent in healthcare in patients with chronic graft versus host disease
Authors: Schain Frida , Batyrbekova Nurgul , Liwing Johan , Baculea Simona , Webb Thomas , Remberger Mats , Mattsson Jonas
Published: December 2020

Chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) is a debilitating and costly complication following haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This study describes the economic burden associated with cGVHD. Direct costs associated with specialised healthcare utilisation (inpatient admissions and outpatient visits), as well as indirect costs associated with sickness absence-associated productivity loss were estimated in patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT in Sweden between 2006 and 2015, linking population-based health and economic registers. To capture the period of chronic GVHD, patients were included who survived > 182 days post-HSCT (start of follow-up), and cGVHD was classified based on patient treatment records to correct for any diagnosis underreporting. Patients were classified as ‘non-cGVHD’ if they received no immunosuppressive treatment, ‘mild cGVHD’ if they received only systemic corticosteroid treatment or immunosuppressive treatment, or ‘moderate–severe cGVHD’ if they received extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) only, corticosteroid treatment and immunosuppressive treatment, or systemic corticosteroid treatment and ECP treatments. Patients with moderate–severe cGVHD spent more time in healthcare, had higher healthcare resource costs and higher sickness absence-related productivity loss compared to patients with non- or mild cGVHD. The cumulative total costs during the first 3 years of follow-up were EUR 14,887,599, EUR 20,544,056, and EUR 47,811,835 for non-, mild, and moderate–severe groups, respectively. The long-term costs incurred with cGVHD following HSCT continue to be very high and significantly impacted by cGVHD severity. This study adds real-world health resource and economic insight relevant for policy-makers and healthcare providers when considering the clinical challenge of balancing immunosuppression to reduce cGVHD.
Pile driving and submarine slope stability: a hybrid engineering approach
Authors: Lamens P. , Askarinejad A.
Published: December 2020

During pile installation into a submerged, sandy slope, liquefaction mechanisms including flow and cyclic liquefaction warrant attention. Because of the interconnection of these mechanisms, evaluating slope stability during and as a result of vibration-inducing construction activity is not trivial. This paper presents a practical approach to such an evaluation. The primary focus of any slope stability analysis must lie with flow liquefaction as the form of failure with the most hazardous potential. Given the importance of excess pore water pressure in giving rise to (delayed) slope failures due to cyclic loading events, excess pore pressure (EPP) generation and dissipation is the mechanism of most interest in modelling cyclic liquefaction. Currently, no engineering method exists which is able to capture the interconnected processes. Therefore, a hybrid model, consisting of a numerical tool which computes EPP generation and dissipation in time, is combined with empirical relations to describe the decay of EPPs generated due to pile driving in space and time. The proposed numerical tool predicts the evolution of EPP in a one-dimensional soil column close to a vibratory-driven pile, taking into account sustained static shear stresses, interim drainage, and pre-shearing. Radial EPP dissipation is considered the dominant mode of drainage. This engineering tool fits within a holistic slope stability analysis procedure, which is demonstrated for a submerged slope in the IJmuiden harbour of the Netherlands, where mooring piles and sheet piles are installed through a relatively loose layer of sand.
Mass balance calibration and reservoir representations for large-scale hydrological impact studies using SWAT+
Authors: Chawanda Celray James , Arnold Jeffrey , Thiery Wim , van Griensven Ann
Published: December 2020

Climate change (CC) has a high impact on hydrological processes which calls for reliable projections of CC hydrological impacts at large scales. However, there are several challenges in hydrological modelling at large scales. Large-scale models are often not adapted and evaluated at regional scale due to high computation time requirements or lack of information on human interactions, such as dam operations and irrigation practices at local scale. In this study, we present a regionalised methodology that uses a hydrological mass balance calibration (HMBC) and global datasets to represent reservoir and irrigation practices and apply these to a SWAT+ model for Southern Africa. We evaluate the influence of HMBC and the representation on irrigation and reservoirs on model performance and climate projections. We propose a generalised implementation of reservoirs using global datasets and decision tables to represent irrigation and reservoir management. Results show that inclusion of irrigation, reservoirs and HMBC leads to improved simulation of discharge and evapotranspiration with fewer iterations than a full parameter calibration. There is a substantial difference between projections made by the regionalised model and default model when looking at local impacts. We conclude that large-scale hydrological studies that involve local analysis and spatial mapping of results benefit from HMBC and representation of management practices. The proposed methodology can be scaled up and improve overall projections made by global models.
Unaligned connections or enlarging engagements? Tertiary education in developing countries and the implementation of the SDGs
Authors: Unterhalter Elaine , Howell Colleen
Published: December 2020

Given that tertiary education (TE) is a sector often associated with exclusion, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where only a small proportion of the population gain access, how well placed is this sector to support the implementation of the SDGs? This article extends our reflections from a recent rigorous review of literature, published from 2010, which looked at the role of tertiary education in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The review noted the sparse literature on a range of development outcomes, with limited attention to some of the key themes of inclusion and sustainability associated with the SDGs. Many studies report on some form of limited connection between TE and development outcomes, also drawing attention to contextual conditions beyond TE that contribute to this. The article considers the reasons for these findings, and some of the difficulties of forming conclusions on a still limited base of research evidence. A second theme in the literature reviewed highlights that where TE establishes partnerships, engagements or cross-institutional alliances, joint and valuable learning in support of the SDGs ensues, enhancing practice and building institutions. Some of the implications of these findings for the positioning of TE in developing countries in the wake of COVID-19 are considered.
Disaster risk reduction activities as learning
Authors: Kitagawa Kaori
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this paper is to relate disaster risk reduction activities to learning perspectives and theories. The paper refers to ‘disaster risk reduction activities’ encompassing various terms used in the existing disaster risk management literature, such as ‘disaster education’ and ‘capacity building’. One thing they have in common is the involvement of the general public in preparing for natural hazards. Disaster risk reduction activities involve learning, because they aim to change people’s behaviour, perception and emotion. An overview of the relationships between disaster risk reduction activities and learning theories has not been offered, and that is what this paper aims to achieve. ‘How people learn’ has been studied in the fields of psychology and education over the years. Evolving from the primary focus of acquisition of knowledge and skills, the understanding of ‘what learning is’ has broadened to envisage emotional and social dimensions. Referring to the historical development of five major learning perspectives, the paper links each perspective with specific disaster risk reduction activities. The foci of the studies of disaster risk reduction activities have beenwhatpeople should learn, rather thanhowpeople learn. Engagement with learning perspectives and theories will allow conceptualising how people learn to be prepared and resilient, which will benefit disaster risk management.
Origin of carbon in agricultural soil profiles deduced from depth gradients of C:N ratios, carbon fractions, δ13C and δ15N values
Authors: Schneider Florian , Amelung Wulf , Don Axel
Published: December 2020

Aims

Agricultural soils in Germany store 2.54 Pg of organic carbon (C). However, information about how and when this C entered the soils is limited. This study illustrates how depth profiles of organic matter can shed light on different entry paths of organic C.

Methods

Machine learning was used to explain total organic C (TOC), C:N, particulate organic C (POC), δ13C and δ15N values down to 100 cm depth based on pedology, geology, climate and management-related variables from the German Agricultural Soil Inventory. We estimated TOC turnover rates based on the relationship between the proportion of maize (only C4plant) in crop rotations and soil δ13C values.

Results

In the upper 30 cm of cropland, fresh photosynthates added on average 0.2 to 0.8 Mg C ha− 1year− 1. Organic fertiliser was another source of topsoil C, especially in grassland. Sandy sites in north-west Germany contained historic C from past heathland and peatland. One third of German agricultural land was found to be on colluvial and alluvial deposits, in which allochthonous C from upstream and upslope areas evidently increased the TOC content of subsoils. In and below hardpans, TOC content and C:N and POC:TOC ratios were low, indicating restricted root-derived C input.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that ongoing management in German agricultural soils mainly affects topsoil C, while C storage in subsoils reveals significant legacies from allochthonous, buried or translocated C inputs. Specific attention should be focused on the sustainable loosening of hardpans that could result in a slow, but significant increase in subsoil C stocks.
Feldspar-banana peel composite adsorbent for efficient crude oil removal from solution
Authors: Dawodu Folasegun A. , Abonyi Chika J. , Akpomie Kovo G.
Published: December 2020

The problem of oil spill pollution associated with the transport of crude oil and its products across the globe is of serious concern. The sorption technique has proved to be promising for oil spill treatment but is limited by the hydrophilic nature of most natural organic sorbents. The combo of natural organic and inorganic sorbents have been found to enhance the hydrophobicity for oil sorption. Therefore this study was aimed at the preparation of a novel feldspar-banana peel biochar composite (FBPC) with enhanced hydrophobicity for the sorption of crude oil. The prepared sorbent was characterised by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, while the crude oil was characterised using standard methods. Batch sorption was used to determine the effect of contact time (30–150 min), temperature (25–100 °C), pH (2.0–10.0), oil concentration (4.0–12.0 g/L) and sorbent dosage (0.1–0.5 g) on sorption. SEM analysis of FBPC revealed a porous structure, while XRD confirmed the crystalline phases of feldspar. The crude oil samples had pH (6.40–6.60), density (0.960 0 0.962 g/cm3), kinematic viscosity (24.0–27.6 cSt) and API gravity (24.25–24.51°). The Langmuir model with R2 > 0.7781 presented the best fit than the Temkin and Freundlich model in the isotherm analysis, while the pseudo-second-order model with R2 > 0.9711 was applicable in the kinetics of sorption. The thermodynamic analysis revealed a decrease in randomness at the crude oil-FBPC interface. The prepared FBPC was found to be an efficient inorganic–organic composite sorbent with enhanced hydrophobicity for the sorption of crude oil.
Tödliche Arbeitsunfälle im Handel und in der Warenlogistik
Authors: Schäfer Klaus , Mahlberg Jörg , Klockmann Hans-Christoph
Published: December 2020

Die Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik (BGHW) hat die tödlichen Arbeitsunfälle im Zeitraum von 2012 bis Mitte 2019 systematisch ausgewertet. Die sich in diesem Zeitraum ereigneten 315 tödlichen Arbeitsunfälle können im Wesentlichen in sechs verschiedene Schwerpunkte unterteilt werden: Straßenverkehrsunfälle, Absturzunfälle, Unfälle bei Bau, Montage und Instandhaltungsarbeiten, Unfälle durch Erfassen, Überrollen oder Quetschen durch Fahrzeuge und Baumaschinen, Unfälle mit Flurförderzeugen und Unfälle beim Be- und Entladen von Fahrzeugen. Darüber hinaus konnten auf Basis der zusammengeführten Daten viele weitere Erkenntnisse über tödliche Arbeitsunfälle gewonnen werden. Der Artikel fasst die Ergebnisse dieser Auswertungen zusammen. Das Wissen über die tödlichen Unfälle im Handel und in der Warenlogistik kann somit für die (Weiter‑)Entwicklung betrieblicher Maßnahmen zur Vermeidung derartiger Arbeitsunfälle genutzt werden. Darüber hinaus fließt das Wissen in das Präventionshandeln der BGHW ein.
Digital Supply Chain Management in the Videogames Industry: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Kelly Stephen , Klézl Vojtech , Israilidis John , Malone Neil , Butler Stuart
Published: December 2020

As industries mature, they rely more heavily on supply chain management (SCM) to ensure effective operations leading to greater levels of organisational performance. SCM has been widely covered in many industrial areas and, in line with other burgeoning sectors such as Tourism, an industry focus provides the opportunity to look in-depth at the context-based factors that affect SCM. Developments in digital distribution and rapid technological innovations have resulted in an increased focus on Digital Supply Chains (DSCs), which bring about significant changes to how consumers, customers, suppliers, and manufacturers interact, affecting supply chain design and processes. Through a systematic review of the Videogames Industry Supply Chain Management literature, which serves as a pertinent contextual example of a DSC, we look at how supply chains are affected by structural, market and technological change, such as increased platformisation, disintermediation and the proliferation of digital distribution. We distil these findings into a new research agenda, which identifies themes in line with extant DSC research, provides a series of relevant practice recommendations and identifies opportunities for future research.
Exploring the step function distribution of the threshold fraction of adopted neighbors versus minimum fraction of nodes as initial adopters to assess the cascade blocking intra-cluster density of complex real-world networks
Authors: Meghanathan Natarajan
Published: December 2020

We first propose a binary search algorithm to determine the minimum fraction of nodes in a network to be used as initial adopters ($$f_{IA}^{\min }$$

f

IA

min

) for a particular threshold fraction (q) of adopted neighbors (related to the cascade capacity of the network) leading to a complete information cascade. We observe the q versus $$f_{IA}^{\min }$$

f

IA

min

distribution for several complex real-world networks to exhibit a step function pattern wherein there is an abrupt increase in $$f_{IA}^{\min }$$

f

IA

min

beyond a certain value of q (qstep); the $$f_{IA}^{\min }$$

f

IA

min

values at qstep and the next measurable value of q are represented as $$\underline{{f_{IA}^{\min } }}$$

f

IA

min

̲

and $$\overline{{f_{IA}^{\min } }}$$

f

IA

min

¯

respectively. The difference $$\overline{{f_{IA}^{\min } }} - \underline{{f_{IA}^{\min } }}$$

f

IA

min

¯

-

f

IA

min

̲

is observed to be significantly high (a median of 0.44 for a suite of 40 real-world networks studied in this paper) such that we claim the 1 − qstep value (we propose to refer 1 − qstep as the Cascade Blocking Index, CBI) for a network could be perceived as a measure of the intra-cluster density of the blocking cluster of the network that cannot be penetrated without including an appreciable number of nodes from the cluster to the set of initial adopters (justifying a relatively larger $$\overline{{f_{IA}^{\min } }}$$

f

IA

min

¯

value).
Evaluation of an enhanced recovery program for outcome improvement after pancreaticoduodenectomy: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Hufkens Ann-Sophie , van Cleven Stijn , de Carvalho Luis Abreu , Vanlander Aude , Berrevoet Frederik
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:

The introduction of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) has led to a reduction in hospital stay (LOS) without compromising surgical outcome. The primary endpoint of this study is to evaluate the adherence to postoperative targets of the ERAS protocol, and to describe short-term surgical outcomes. The secondary endpoints are 30-day readmission rate, reoperation rate and mortality.

Materials and methods:

This single centre retrospective analysis reviews all data of patients who underwent a PD in our tertiary referral hospital between August 2016 and December 2019. A total of 170 patients were operated of whom 154 patients were enrolled in the ERAS protocol. As per ERAS protocol, epidural analgesia was stopped on postoperative day (POD) 2, nasogastric tube (NGT) removed on POD3, regular food tolerated by POD5. Drains were removed on POD2 and POD3, the soft drain along the pancreatic anastomosis between POD3-10.

Results:

Epidural analgesia was removed on POD2 in 26 patients (17.7%), NGT removed on POD3 in 74 patients (49.0%), regular food tolerated by POD5 in 52 patients (34.9%). The lateral drain was removed in 81 patients (52.9%) on POD2, the medial drain in 39 patients (26.2%) on POD3, the soft drain in 95 patients (61.7%) between POD3 and 10. Nine patients (5.8%) had post-pancreatectomy haemorrhage (PPH), 14 (9.1%) postoperative pancreatic fistula grade B or C (POPF), 5 (3.3%) bile leakage, and 44 (28.6%) delayed gastric emptying (DGE). The 30-day readmission rate was 8.4%, reoperation rate 10.4%, and the in-hospital mortality 1.3%.

Conclusions:

The adherence to targets of the ERAS protocol was found to be rather low. Biliary leakage, POPF, DGE, and PPH all led to an adapted ERAS protocol with prolonged LOS. Most complications were detected along the ERAS pathway, indicating that also patients at high risk for complications can be safely included in the ERAS protocol.

Highlights
On the use of coordination strategies in complex engineered system design projects
Authors: Collopy Arianne X. , Adar Eytan , Papalambros Panos Y.
Published: December 2020

Coordination of distributed design work is an important activity in large-scale and complex engineered systems (LSCES) design projects. Coordination strategies have been studied formally in system design optimization and organizational science. This article reports on a study to identify what strategies are used in coordination practice. While the literature primarily offers prescriptive coordination strategies, this study focussed on the contribution of individuals’ behaviours to system-level coordination. Thus, a coordination strategy is seen as a particular set of individual actions and behaviours. We interviewed professionals with expertise in systems engineering, project management and technical leadership at two large aerospace design organizations. Through qualitative thematic analysis, we identified two strategies used to facilitate coordination. The first we callauthority-basedand is enabled by technical know-how and the use of organizational authority; the second we callempathetic leadershipand includes interpersonal skills, leadership traits and empathy. These strategies emerged as complementary and, together, enabled individuals to coordinate complex design tasks. We found that skills identified in competency models enable these coordination strategies, which in turn support management of interdependent work in the organization. Studying the role of individuals contributes an expanded view on how coordination facilitates LSCES design practice.
Isomorphisms between determinantal point processes with translation-invariant kernels and Poisson point processes
Authors: OSADA SHOTA
Published: December 2020

We prove the Bernoulli property for determinantal point processes on

$ \mathbb{R}^d $
with translation-invariant kernels. For the determinantal point processes on

$ \mathbb{Z}^d $
with translation-invariant kernels, the Bernoulli property was proved by Lyons and Steif [Stationary determinantal processes: phase multiplicity, bernoullicity, and domination. Duke Math. J.120 (2003), 515–575] and Shirai and Takahashi [Random point fields associated with certain Fredholm determinants II: fermion shifts and their ergodic properties. Ann. Probab.31 (2003), 1533–1564]. We prove its continuum version. For this purpose, we also prove the Bernoulli property for the tree representations of the determinantal point processes.
Sarnak’s conjecture for sequences of almost quadratic word growth
Authors: MCNAMARA REDMOND
Published: December 2020

We prove the logarithmic Sarnak conjecture for sequences of subquadratic word growth. In particular, we show that the Liouville function has at least quadratically many sign patterns. We deduce the main theorem from a variant which bounds the correlations between multiplicative functions and sequences with subquadratically many words which occur with positive logarithmic density. This allows us to actually prove that our multiplicative functions do not locally correlate with sequences of subquadratic word growth. We also prove a conditional result which shows that if the (
$\kappa -1$
)-Fourier uniformity conjecture holds then the Liouville function does not correlate with sequences with

$O(n^{t-\varepsilon })$
many words of length n where

$t = \kappa (\kappa +1)/2$
. We prove a variant of the

$1$
-Fourier uniformity conjecture where the frequencies are restricted to any set of box dimension less than

$1$
.