bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La Queglia carbonatitic melnöite: a notable example of an ultra-alkaline rock variant in Italy
Authors: Vichi Giada , Perna Maria Grazia , Ambrosio Francesco , Rosatelli Gianluigi , Cirillo Daniele , Broom-Fendley Sam , Vladykin Nikolay V. , Zaccaria Daria , Stoppa Francesco
Published: September 2022

Very primitive ultramafic igneous rocks occur at Mt. La Queglia (Abruzzo, Italy). They form a strongly deformed sill–dyke system now tilted vertically. These rocks were initially classified as alnöite and, subsequently, have been suggested to be a carbonatitic olivine melilitite. However, further investigation and interpretation of these rocks is needed due to the presence of hand-specimen-scale textural variation suggesting a complex petrogenesis. We study the texture, mineral chemistry, and whole-rock geochemistry to define three main rock-types. (1) A brecciated rock with an ocellar texture composed of calcite pseudomorphs after olivine and melilite, plus fresh diopside in a groundmass of mica, aegirine, garnet, calcite, apatite, perovskite, titanate and chlorite. Zoned ocelli in this rock show an amoeboid shape, agglutination, and menisci typical of a plastic state. (2) A quenched rock showing a spinifex texture containing long feathery phenocrysts of cpx and mica suspended in a groundmass of nepheline, aegirine, apatite, Ti–rich magnetite, plus abundant calcite and some K-feldspar and zeolites. (3) A coarse-grained rock is composed of calcite plus intergranular glauconite, a mixture of spinel mineral group and Ti–rich magnetite, accessory barite, pyrite, and chabazite-K. The igneous rocks at Mt. La Queglia show extreme SiO2-undersaturation (33.5–37.3 wt% SiO2), high MgO contents and TiO2/Al2O3 ratios. Rock-type 1 has a lower Mg number Mg# = 100 × [Mg/(Mg + Fe2+)], higher Ca number Ca# = 100 × [Ca/(Ca + Mg)], high Cr (up to 720 ppm) Ni (up to 379 ppm), higher rare earth elements (REE) contents as well as La/Lu ratio, compared to rock-type 2. Perovskite and chromite accumulation seems an important agent during rock differentiation. Rock-type 3 shows REE cross-over with rock-type 2 suggesting light (L)REE concentration in a carbothermal residuum. Mt. La Queglia rocks are an end-member compared to other Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene Italian lamprophyres, suggesting a low degree of melting of a HIMU (a colloquialism for “high-μ”; referring to mantle domains with high 238U/ 204Pb) garnet-bearing mantle source.
Domain adaptation for staff-region retrieval of music score images
Authors: Castellanos Francisco J. , Gallego Antonio Javier , Calvo-Zaragoza Jorge , Fujinaga Ichiro
Published: September 2022

Optical music recognition (OMR) is the field that studies how to automatically read music notation from score images. One of the relevant steps within the OMR workflow is the staff-region retrieval. This process is a key step because any undetected staff will not be processed by the subsequent steps. This task has previously been addressed as a supervised learning problem in the literature; however, ground-truth data are not always available, so each new manuscript requires a preliminary manual annotation. This situation is one of the main bottlenecks in OMR, because of the countless number of existing manuscripts , and the associated manual labeling cost. With the aim of mitigating this issue, we propose the application of a domain adaptation technique, the so-called Domain-Adversarial Neural Network (DANN), based on a combination of a gradient reversal layer and a domain classifier in the inference neural architecture. The results from our experiments support the benefits of our proposed solution, obtaining improvements of approximately 29% in the F-score.
A hydraulic model outperforms work-balance models for predicting recovery kinetics from intermittent exercise
Authors: Weigend Fabian C. , Clarke David C. , Obst Oliver , Siegler Jason
Published: September 2022

Data Science advances in sports commonly involve “big data”, i.e., large sport-related data sets. However, such big data sets are not always available, necessitating specialized models that apply to relatively few observations. One important area of sport-science research that features small data sets is the study of recovery from exercise. In this area, models are typically fitted to data collected from exhaustive exercise test protocols, which athletes can perform only a few times. Recent findings highlight that established recovery models such as the so-called work-balance models are too simple to adequately fit observed trends in the data. Therefore, we investigated a hydraulic model that requires the same few data points as work-balance models to be applied, but promises to predict recovery dynamics more accurately. To compare the hydraulic model to established work-balance models, we retrospectively applied them to data compiled from published studies. In total, one hydraulic model and three work-balance models were compared on data extracted from five studies. The hydraulic model outperformed established work-balance models on all defined metrics, even those that penalize models featuring higher numbers of parameters. These results incentivize further investigation of the hydraulic model as a new alternative to established performance models of energy recovery.
Should tourists care more about invasive species? International and domestic visitors’ perceptions of invasive plants and their control in New Zealand
Authors: Lovelock Brent , Ji Yun , Carr Anna , Blye Clara-Jane
Published: September 2022

Tourism has been implicated in the spread of invasive species, not only through physical means but through invasive species being perpetuated in destinations as part of the tourism landscape. This study reports on a survey of 238 domestic and international tourists visiting the south of New Zealand, with a focus on their knowledge of and attitudes to the management of two invasive plants: wild conifers and Russell lupins. Both plants have profound ecological, economic and environmental impacts but are also increasingly a part of the tourist landscapes in the study region. The survey found significant differences between domestic and international visitors in their levels of ecological knowledge about the invasive plants, with domestic visitors having greater awareness. However, there were also significant differences between international visitors according to origin and ethnicity, with Asian visitors showing lower awareness and also lower willingness to support eradication of the invasives, even after being provided information on the ecological impact of the species. Participants also responded differently to the two species, being less willing to support eradication of the attractive Russell lupin, compared to wild conifers. There are implications for management in terms of the messaging that may be required for different visitor groups around invasive species control. The study also points to the challenge of developing support for the management of charismatic plant species such as Russell lupin that are now firmly located within the tourism domain.
Inter-observer variance and agreement of wildlife information extracted from camera trap images
Authors: Zett Theresa , Stratford Ken J , Weise Florian J
Published: September 2022

Camera traps are a popular tool in terrestrial wildlife research due to their low costs, easy operability, and usefulness for studying a wide array of species and research questions. The vast numbers of images they generate often require multiple human data extractors, yet accuracy and inter-observer variance are rarely considered. We compared results from 10 observers who processed the same set of multi-species camera trap images (n = 11,560) from seven sites. We quantified inter-observer agreement and variance for (1) the number of mammals identified, (2) the number of images saved, (3) species identification accuracy and the types of mistakes made, and (4) counts of herbivore groups and individuals. We analysed the influence of observer experience, species distinctiveness and camera location. Observers varied significantly regarding image processing rates, the number of mammals found and images saved, and species misidentifications. Only one observer detected all 22 mammals (range: 18–22, n = 10). Experienced observers processed images up to 4.5 times faster and made less mistakes regarding species detection and identification. Missed species were mostly small mammals (56.5%) while misidentifications were most common among species with low phenotypic distinctiveness. Herbivore counts had high to very high variances with mainly moderate agreement across observers. Observers differed in how they processed images and what they recorded. Our results raise important questions about the reliability of data extracted by multiple observers. Inter-observer bias, observer-related variables, species distinctiveness and camera location are important considerations if camera trapping results are to be used for population estimates or biodiversity assessments.
I Am Not Just a Nurse: The Need for a Boundaried Ethic of Care in the Context of Prolific Relationality
Authors: Au Wee Chan , Stephens Siân
Published: September 2022

The Ethics of Care (EoC) theory has been widely applied in the field of management, and there is a growing consensus that it is important to recognise the value and practice of care in the workplace. In this paper, we consider the implications of the EoC at work, and in particular the risks unboundaried care demands may pose to employees who encounter unmanageable ‘calls to care’. We present findings from interviews with 27 nurses in Malaysia, which suggest that the demand to care at work, in addition to demands made in the non-work sphere, may be unmanageable. We argue for a more boundaried approach to the EoC at work with a view to ensuring that in valuing care we do not over-burden the carer.
Researching inequality in higher education: tracing changing conceptions and approaches over fifty years
Authors: Deem Rosemary , Case Jennifer M. , Nokkala Terhi
Published: September 2022

Fifty years ago, higher education globally had started to change radically in terms of the proportion of young people enrolled in the system as well as society’s expectations for what this would deliver. From the outset,Higher Educationhas featured research interrogating various aspects of inequality in higher education, including institutions and staff as well as students. This article offers an overview of that work. Our analysis is structured around three levels at which major questions on this topic have been framed and investigated. The macro level focuses on national systems and looks at widening participation, especially the increase in access to higher education for young people. The meso level mostly focuses on institutions and their engagement with organisational inequality. The micro level focuses on the lived experiences of academics, in this case focusing on gender and race. We adopted a thematic and purposive approach to article choice, ultimately selecting key papers for further illustrative analysis. In our analysis, we tracked changes in areas of empirical or other emphasis, the use of a variety of theoretical and epistemological frameworks and methods, policy recommendations, and the geographical locations of authors and their content. We noted a growing emphasis on intersectionality and a widening range of countries but also more critical analyses and suggestions for more radical changes in higher education systems.
Disentangling Language Disorder and Bilingualism in Children with Developmental Language Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from Writing
Authors: Peristeri Eleni , Tsimpli Ianthi Maria
Published: September 2022

Twenty-eight Albanian-Greek bilingual children with Developmental Language Disorder and 28 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder but no language impairment, along with 28 typically-developing, age-, Performance IQ- and socioeconomic status-matched bilingual children were asked to produce two expository texts which were coded for spelling (phonological, grammatical, orthographic) errors, stress and punctuation use. The children’s expressive vocabulary, current language use and home language history were also measured. The results show that the bilingual children with Developmental Language Disorder were particularly vulnerable to spelling errors, while their bilingual peers with Autism Spectrum Disorder were rather challenged by stress and punctuation. The evidence speaks in favor of distinct patterns of writing impairment across the bilingual children with Developmental Language Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Influence of stress on the electromechanical properties and the phase transitions of lead-free (1 − x)Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3
Authors: Gadelmawla Ahmed , Dobesh David , Eckstein Udo , Grübl Oliver , Ehmke Matthias , Cicconi Maria Rita , Khansur Neamul H. , de Ligny Dominique , Webber Kyle G.
Published: September 2022

The influence of stress on the phase boundaries of polycrystalline lead-free perovskite (1 − x)Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (x = 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6) was characterized through the temperature- and stress-dependent small-signal dielectric and piezoelectric response from − 150 to 200 °C under uniaxial compressive stress up to − 75 MPa. For all three compositions, the phase transition temperatures separating the rhombohedral, orthorhombic, tetragonal, and cubic phases were shifted to higher temperatures with an increase in the uniaxial mechanical loading, corresponding to a significant decrease in the dielectric and piezoelectric responses. Additional stress-dependent relative permittivity measurements up to − 260 MPa were conducted at four different constant temperatures (− 10, 10, 25, and 40 °C), revealing significant increases in the dielectric response, making these materials interesting for tunable dielectric applications. Furthermore, the stress-induced shift in phase transition temperatures was confirmed by in situ combined temperature- and stress-dependent Raman spectroscopy measurements under different constant uniaxial loads within the temperature range from 30 to 130 °C.

Graphical abstract
Motivational consequences of counterfactual mindsets: Does counterfactual structure influence the use of conservative or risky tactics?
Authors: Winter Kevin , Epstude Kai
Published: September 2022

Motivational states are important determinants of human behavior. Regulatory focus theory suggests that a promotion focus stimulates risky behavior, whereas a prevention focus fosters conservative tactics. Previous research linked counterfactual structure with regulatory focus. Extending this work, we predicted that additive counterfactual mindsets (“If only I had…”) instigate risky tactics in subsequent situations, whereas subtractive counterfactual mindsets (“If only I had NOT…”) lead to conservative tactics. We tested this prediction and the underlying assumptions in four preregistered studies (total N = 803) and obtained consistent null results. Additive and subtractive counterfactual mindsets did not elicit different tactics – neither on behavioral nor on self-report measures – and they did not influence participants’ motivation compared to a neutral control condition. Likewise, our results put doubts on previous findings on counterfactuals and regulatory focus as well as regulatory focus and conservative or risky behavior. More general implications for research on counterfactuals and motivation are discussed.
The smart body concept as a demonstration of the overarching utility and benefits of 3D avatars in retail, health and wellbeing: an accuracy study of body measures from 3D reconstruction
Authors: Cimolin Veronica , Paraskevopoulos Ioannis Th. , Sala Maurizio , Tarabini Marco , Galli Manuela
Published: September 2022

Recent developments in 3D graphic technologies enable the affordable and precise reconstruction of body scanned models that can be applied in a variety of verticals, such as fashion, fitness and wellness, and healthcare. The accuracy of body measurements is a crucial element for the successful application of avatars in the following use cases: Avatars that go beyond visual representation and offer intrinsic and precise anthropometric data defined as a smart body are discussed in this paper. In particular, this paper presents the Gate technology, an innovative, autonomous, sustainable body scanner, coupled with an automatic production pipeline and the concept of avatars as smart bodies. We present an accuracy study of scanning technology for scanning inanimate objects, as well as body parts versus the ground, by using an established accuracy scanning system. The results appear to be promising and confirm the hypothesis of applying the technology to the use cases discussed as well as broadening the research to other studies and future applications.
CommuNety: deep learning-based face recognition system for the prediction of cohesive communities
Authors: Shah Syed Afaq Ali , Deng Weifeng , Cheema Muhammad Aamir , Bais Abdul
Published: September 2022

Effective mining of social media, which consists of a large number of users is a challenging task. Traditional approaches rely on the analysis of text data related to users to accomplish this task. However, text data lacks significant information about the social users and their associated groups. In this paper, we propose CommuNety, a deep learning system for the prediction of cohesive networks using face images from photo albums. The proposed deep learning model consists of hierarchical CNN architecture to learn descriptive features related to each cohesive network. The paper also proposes a novel Face Co-occurrence Frequency algorithm to quantify existence of people in images, and a novel photo ranking method to analyze the strength of relationship between different individuals in a predicted social network. We extensively evaluate the proposed technique on PIPA dataset and compare with state-of-the-art methods. Our experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed technique for the prediction of relationship between different individuals and the cohesiveness of communities.
Adaptive cross approximation for Tikhonov regularization in general form
Authors: Mach T. , Reichel L. , Van Barel Marc
Published: September 2022

Many problems in science and engineering give rise to linear integral equations of the first kind with a square integrable kernel. Discretization of the integral operator yields a matrix, whose singular values cluster at the origin. We describe the approximation of such matrices by adaptive cross approximation, which avoids forming the entire matrix. The choice of the number of steps of adaptive cross approximation is discussed. The discretized right-hand side represents data that commonly are contaminated by measurement error. Solution of the linear system of equations so obtained is not meaningful because the matrix determined by adaptive cross approximation is rank-deficient. We remedy this difficulty by using Tikhonov regularization and discuss how a fairly general regularization matrix can be used. Computed examples illustrate that the use of a regularization matrix different from the identity can improve the quality of the computed approximate solutions significantly.
Influence of Yttrium Doping on the Oxidation of Mo(Si,Al)2 in Air at 1500 °C
Authors: Edgren Aina , Johansson Lars-Gunnar , Ström Erik , Hörnqvist Colliander Magnus
Published: September 2022

Mo(Si,Al)2 with different yttrium (Y) additions (up to 2 at.%) was synthesised by dry powder mixing followed by compaction and sintering. In as-sintered materials, Y was present as yttrium aluminium garnet. The materials were exposed in air at 1500 °C for up to 250 h to study the effect of Y on oxidation behaviour. The oxides formed were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-based techniques and X-ray diffraction. While the Y-free Mo(Si,Al)2 formed a scale consisting of Al2O3 and a small amount of mullite, the Y-containing samples formed oxides containing both yttrium silicate and larger fractions of mullite, in addition to Al2O3. Oxidation rate, scale spallation, as well as the evaporation of Mo, all increased with Y addition.
The lived experience of remembering a ‘good’ interview: Micro-phenomenology applied to itself
Authors: Heimann Katrin , Boelsbjerg Hanne Bess , Allen Chris , van Beek Martijn , Suhr Christian , Lübbert Annika , Petitmengin Claire
Published: September 2022

Micro-phenomenology is an interview and analysis method for investigating subjective experience. As a research tool, it provides detailed descriptions of brief moments of any type of subjective experience and offers techniques for systematically comparing them. In this article, we use an auto-ethnographic approach to present and explore the method. The reader is invited to observe a dialogue between two authors that illustrates and comments on the planning, conducting and analysis of a pilot series of five micro-phenomenological interviews. All these interviews asked experienced researchers of micro-phenomenology to browse their memories to identify one successful and one challenging instance of working with micro-phenomenology. The interview then focused on this reflective task to investigate whether applying the method to itself might reveal quality criteria. The article starts by presenting a shortened and edited version of the first of these interviews. Keeping the dialogue format, we then outline the micro-phenomenological analysis procedure by demonstrating its application to part of this data and corresponding passages of other interviews. We focus on one unexpected finding: interviewed researchers judge the quality of an interview in part based on a connection or contact between interviewer and interviewee. We discuss these results in the context of the means and intentions of the method and suggest avenues for future research.
How to explain the direction of time
Authors: Fernandes Alison
Published: September 2022

Reichenbach explains temporally asymmetric phenomena by appeal to entropy and ‘branch structure’. He explains why the entropic gradients of isolated subsystems are oriented towards the future and not the past, and why we have records of the past and not the future, by appeal to the fact that the universe is currently on a long entropic upgrade with subsystems that branch off and become quasi-isolated. Reichenbach’s approach has been criticised for relying too closely on entropy. The more popular approach nowadays is to appeal instead to aparticularlow-entropy initial state—Albert’s ‘Past Hypothesis’. I’ll argue that this neglect of Reichenbach’s approach is unwarranted. A Reichenbachian account has important advantages over Albert’s: it correctly identifies the minimal temporally asymmetric posit needed to derive key temporally asymmetries and it offers a more adequate account of the record asymmetry. While a Reichenbachian account needs to be supplemented, it provides the right foundations for explaining temporally asymmetric phenomena and what we might ultimately mean by ‘the direction of time’.
Atrial fibrosis identification with unipolar electrogram eigenvalue distribution analysis in multi-electrode arrays
Authors: Riccio Jennifer , Alcaine Alejandro , Rocher Sara , Martinez-Mateu Laura , Saiz Javier , Invers-Rubio Eric , Guillem Maria S. , Martínez Juan Pablo , Laguna Pablo
Published: September 2022

Atrial fibrosis plays a key role in the initiation and progression of atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial fibrosis is typically identified by a peak-to-peak amplitude of bipolar electrograms (b-EGMs) lower than 0.5 mV, which may be considered as ablation targets. Nevertheless, this approach disregards signal spatiotemporal information and b-EGM sensitivity to catheter orientation. To overcome these limitations, we propose the dominant-to-remaining eigenvalue dominance ratio (EIGDR) of unipolar electrograms (u-EGMs) within neighbor electrode cliques as a waveform dispersion measure, hypothesizing that it is correlated with the presence of fibrosis. A simulated 2D tissue with a fibrosis patch was used for validation. We computed EIGDR maps from both original and time-aligned u-EGMs, denoted as$$\mathcal {R}$$Rand$$\mathcal{R}^{\mathcal{A}}$$RA, respectively, also mapping the gain in eigenvalue concentration obtained by the alignment,$$\Delta \mathcal{R}^{\mathcal{A}}$$ΔRA. The performance of each map in detecting fibrosis was evaluated in scenarios including noise and variable electrode-tissue distance. Best results were achieved by$$\mathcal{R}^{\mathcal{A}}$$RA, reaching 94% detection accuracy, versus the 86% of b-EGMs voltage maps. The proposed strategy was also tested in real u-EGMs from fibrotic and non-fibrotic areas over 3D electroanatomical maps, supporting the ability of the EIGDRs as fibrosis markers, encouraging further studies to confirm their translation to clinical settings.

Graphical Abstract

Upper panels: map of$$\mathcal {R}^{\mathcal {A}}$$RAfrom 3×3 cliques for Ψ= 0∘and bipolar voltage mapVb-m, performed assuming a variable electrode-to-tissue distance and noisy u-EGMs (noise levelσv= 46.4μV). Lower panels: detected fibrotic areas (brown), using the thresholds that maximize detection accuracy of each map
Understanding the Role of Environmental Transmission on COVID-19 Herd Immunity and Invasion Potential
Authors: Masud M.A , Islam Md. Hamidul , Kim Byul Nim
Published: September 2022

COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is mainly transmitted directly between humans. However, it is observed that this disease can also be transmitted through an indirect route via environmental fomites. The development of appropriate and effective vaccines has allowed us to target and anticipate herd immunity. Understanding of the transmission dynamics and the persistence of the virus on environmental fomites and their resistive role on indirect transmission of the virus is an important scientific and public health challenge because it is essential to consider all possible transmission routes and route specific transmission strength to accurately quantify the herd immunity threshold. In this paper, we present a mathematical model that considers both direct and indirect transmission modes. Our analysis focuses on establishing the disease invasion threshold, investigating its sensitivity to both transmission routes and isolate route-specific transmission rate. Using the tau-leap algorithm, we perform a stochastic model simulation to address the invasion potential of both transmission routes. Our analysis shows that direct transmission has a higher invasion potential than that of the indirect transmission. As a proof of this concept, we fitted our model with early epidemic data from several countries to uniquely estimate the reproduction numbers associated with direct and indirect transmission upon confirming the identifiability of the parameters. As the indirect transmission possess lower invasion potential than direct transmission, proper estimation and necessary steps toward mitigating it would help reduce vaccination requirement.
General variable neighborhood search for the parallel machine scheduling problem with two common servers
Authors: Elidrissi Abdelhak , Benmansour Rachid , Sifaleras Angelo
Published: September 2022

We address in this paper the parallel machine scheduling problem with a shared loading server and a shared unloading server. Each job has to be loaded by the loading server before being processed on one of the available machines and unloaded immediately by the unloading server after its processing. The objective function involves the minimization of the overall completion time, known as the makespan. This important problem raises in flexible manufacturing systems, automated material handling, healthcare, and many other industrial fields, and has been little studied up to now. To date, research on it has focused on the case of two machines. The regular case of this problem is considered. A mixed integer programming formulation based on completion time variables is suggested to solve small-sized instances of the problem. Due to its $$\mathcal{NP}\mathcal{}$$

NP

-hardness, we propose two greedy heuristics based on the minimization of the loading, respectively unloading, server waiting time, and an efficient General Variable Neighborhood Search (GVNS) algorithm. In the computational experiments, the proposed methods are compared using 120 new and publicly available instances. It turns out that, the proposed GVNS with an initial solution-finding mechanism based on the unloading server waiting time minimization significantly outperforms the other approaches.
Experimental Verification and Nonlinear Dynamic Response Analysis of a Rolling Element Bearing with Localized Defects
Authors: Mattar Abdelgawad H. A. , Sayed Hussien , Younes Younes K. , El-Mongy Heba H.
Published: September 2022

In this paper, the dynamic behavior of rolling element bearings with localized faults on the inner and outer rings is investigated. A nonlinear mathematical model is developed with five degrees of freedom considering rotor unbalance. In this bearing model, the nonlinearity is caused by the Hertzian contact forces and the radial internal clearance. The fourth-order Runge–Kutta technique is used to solve the coupled nonlinear equations of motion numerically. Nonlinear vibration response of the rotor and bearing housing can be obtained in both time and frequency domains. An experimental verification of the numerical model is presented where experimental measurements for defective ball bearings are compared with the numerical results. Envelope spectra of the numerical results show similar behavior to that of the measured experimental signals. A parametric analysis is conducted to investigate the effect of system parameters on the nonlinear dynamic response using time waveforms, orbit plots, frequency spectra and bifurcation diagrams. The presented results demonstrate that the dynamic response shows periodic, quasi-periodic and chaotic motions because of varying rotational speeds and defect width. The proposed model contributes toward improved design and better health monitoring of bearings in practice.
Revisional Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Versus Revisional One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass After Failed Sleeve Gastrectomy: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Hany Mohamed , Zidan Ahmed , Elmongui Ehab , Torensma Bart
Published: September 2022

Background

High rates of revision surgery have been reported for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), with weight regain (WR) as the most frequently reported cause. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is the most commonly performed revision procedure, whereas one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) is a less popular approach.

Methods

A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted. One hundred seventy-six patients were enrolled and randomized. After loss to follow-up, 80 patients for RYGB and 80 patients for OAGB were analyzed, with a 2-year follow-up. Patients with grade B or higher gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were excluded. Early and late postoperative complications were recorded. Body mass index (BMI), percentage of excess BMI loss (%EBMIL), nutritional laboratory test results, and the resolution of associated medical problems were assessed after revision surgery.

Results

After 2 years, both groups achieved significantly lower BMI than their post-LSG nadir BMI (p < 0.001). The %EBMIL changes showed significantly faster weight loss in the OAGB group than in the RYGB at the 6-month follow-up (mean difference: 8.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2 to 16.9%). However, at 1-year and 2-year follow-ups, the differences were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). Early and late complications were similar between two groups. Both groups showed improvement or resolution of associated medical problems, with no statistically significant differences after 2 years (p = 1.00).

Conclusion

Both revisional RYGB and OAGB have comparable significant weight loss effects when performed for WR after LSG. After a 2-year follow-up, both procedures were safe, with no significant differences in the occurrence of complications and nutritional deficits.

Graphical abstract
Cancer-related self-perception in men affected by prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Jahnen Matthias , Lehner Luisa , Meissner Valentin H. , Andreas Dinkel  , Schiele Stefan , Schulwitz Helga , Gschwend Jürgen E. , Herkommer Kathleen
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To identify factors associated with cancer-related self-perception after being affected by prostate cancer (PCa) and radical prostatectomy.

Subjects and methods

Men affected by PCa and radical prostatectomy were asked to choose one of 5 cancer-related identities (“patient,” “victim,” “someone who has had cancer,” “cancer survivor,” and “cancer conqueror”). Associations with clinical data, functional outcome (continence and sexual activity), and psychological factors were assessed.

Results

One thousand seven hundred seventy-two men were included. Most men perceived themselves as “someone who has had cancer” (46.8%) which was associated with no cancer recurrence (OR: 0.54 [0.36–0.81]) and low cancer-related distress (OR: 0.69 [0.53–0.89]) or “patient” (35.4%) which was associated with ongoing therapy (OR: 2.59 [1.59–4.22]) and biochemical disease recurrence (OR: 1.91 [1.28–2.85]). Self-perception, as “cancer survivor” (7.8%), “cancer conqueror” (8.2%), or “victim” (1.8%), was less common. “Cancer survivor” was associated with high perceived disease severity (OR: 2.07 [1.33–3.24]) and incontinence (1.99 [1.27–3.12]). “Cancer survivor” and “cancer conqueror” were related to high benefit finding (OR: 2.05 [1.30–3.23], OR: 1.89 [1.27–2.81], respectively); only “cancer conqueror” was associated with higher quality of life (OR: 1.38 [1.21–1.58]).

Conclusions

Self-perception in men affected by PCa can vary widely and is associated with distinct characteristics that reflect the experienced severity of the disease, therapy side effects, and psychological well-being.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

The assessment of cancer-related self-perception can give important insights when evaluating men affected by PCa who need assistance in coping with their disease.
Contrasting Trophic Niche and Resource Use Dynamics Across Multiple American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) Populations and Age Groups
Authors: Bopp Justin , Olin Jill A. , Sclafani Matthew , Peterson Bradley , Frisk Michael G. , Cerrato Robert M.
Published: September 2022

Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) exhibit ontogenetic and geographic variability in migratory patterns, yet the implications of movement on their resource use dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluate horseshoe crab resource use across ontogeny (instars 14–18 and adults), sex, seasons, and between two spatially distinct populations that exhibit different migratory patterns. Multi-tissue stable isotope analyses of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur were used to examine (1) ontogenetic and sex-specific variability in the reliance of resource pools; (2) variation in isotopic niche breadth within and among populations; and (3) seasonal variability in resource use within juvenile life stages. We found evidence for subtle ontogenetic shifts in resource use, with increased contributions of phytoplankton with ontogeny, but all age groups predominantly relied on sedimentary organic matter (SOM) pools. Sex-specific differences in resource use were observed with SOM serving as the predominant source assimilated in males, while females exhibited a higher dependence on phytoplankton resource pools, indicating foraging or spatial preferences may be different between sexes. Low trophic niche overlap between adult and juvenile horseshoe crabs was evident, likely arising from differences in migratory patterns and size constraints. Within juveniles, no seasonal differences in resource use were observed, indicating that dietary patterns may remain static across temporal scales, consistent with limited dispersal of that life stage. Spatial differences in resource use were, however, observed between adult crabs likely reflecting the migratory strategies of different populations. Our results are consistent with previous evidence that horseshoe crabs are dietary generalists but provide novel insights into the linkages between movement and trophic patterns.
The “Lamprophyre Clan” Revisited
Authors: Kamvisis Ioannis , Phani Pothuri Ramesh Chandra
Published: September 2022

A sequential genetic diagram is proposed for lamprophyres adopting their definitions, classification, petrological and geochemical signatures from an elaborated literature survey. Based on the definition of individual lamprophyric types, the existence of “Lamprophyre clan” of rocks is supported as it was first proposed by Rock in 1991. A diagram has been created for this purpose. Characteristic examples from India and their approximate spatial distribution in the eastern Dharwar craton in particular, have also been presented.
Geodiversity, Geoheritage and Geoconservation: A Global Perspective
Authors: Kaur Gurmeet
Published: September 2022

In recent decades, the growing awareness and necessity of dealing with geodiversity and geoheritage has drawn the attention of the global geoscientific community to conserving and safeguarding it. As a result, the global initiatives, reinforced by the efforts of the regional and local geological communities, have led to a paradigm shift in how geodiversity (diverse geological elements) and geoheritage (geological heritage) are perceived. The efforts and actions of some nations in conserving geodiversity and geoheritage have been exemplary, while others are still in a nascent stage and a few still need to awaken. The concepts of geodiversity, geoparks, geoheritage, and geoconservation are the fruits of the efforts of many global and regional organizations. The collective efforts of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Global Geoparks Network (GGN), and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) have brought the attention of the global geoscientific community, policymakers and governments of almost all nations to ponder the issues of geodiversity and geoheritage. These globally recognised organisations have been at the forefront and their initiatives have permitted the conservation of some significant geological heritage and have demonstrated that they can pave a new path for more sustainable development. These organisations have worked in tandem for the past few decades and have been successful in identifying and designating some of the outstanding and geologically significant sites/geosites as ‘Natural World Heritage Sites’, ‘UNESCO Global Geoparks’. The novel ideas and statutes defining global designation criteria and protocols by these organisations are there to enthuse and encourage earth scientists, policymakers, the public, and governments of all nations to frame their own national and local statutes for the identification and conservation of outstanding national geoheritage and to further integrate them with the international organisations for global designations.
River Aquifer Interaction Modeling for the Waterlogged Aquifer and Sustainable Groundwater Irrigation along River Flood Plain
Authors: Singh Mrinal Kumar , Ghosh Susmita
Published: September 2022

The river aquifer interaction model was developed for the waterlogged-alluvial aquifer to address the issues of the lower river leakage and higher aquifer discharge in the waterlogged groundwater system. The developed model was simulated and calibrated for the 15 years simulation period (2006-2020). From the model study, it is observed that river aquifer interaction changes seasonally, river leakages to the aquifer in the monsoon period and aquifer discharges to the river in the rest period. From the analysis, it is visualized that the monthly variation in river aquifer interaction majorly depends on the river stage. From the analysis, it also concluded that the value of river leakage is low as compared to aquifer discharge caused due to aquifer waterlogging. The model was further applied to reduce the waterlogged area to a certain degree by introducing sustainable groundwater irrigation from the waterlogged aquifer during the dry/Rabi season. Thus, the fraction of uncultivated land near the river flood plain converted as agricultural land. Sustainability is achieved by considering the three scenarios to unaltering the river aquifer interaction seasonally. The three scenarios are introducing groundwater irrigation to convert (i) 25%, (ii) 50% and (iii) 75% of the uncultivated land to agricultural land. It is revealed from the study that the sustainable proposed scenario is where the agricultural land equals to 75% of uncultivated land. The proposed methodology has been illustrated in the alluvial flood plain of the Barak river in Cachar, Assam, India.
Processing of Multispectral ASTER Data to Delineate Bauxite Abundant Zones and its Geochemical Characterisation Deposited over Deccan Traps of Central India in Mainpat Plateau, Surguja District, Chhattisgarh
Authors: Sanjay Kumar Balabantaray , Aravindan S. , Taanya Baunthiyal , Ravi R.
Published: September 2022

The current study deals with the application of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) multispectral data to delineate bauxite deposits over Mainpat plateau, Surguja district, Chhattisgarh, India. Application of specific band combinations help to delineate bauxite in the (SWIR) region (2.16-2.33 μm) and visible near infrared (VNIR) band (0.4–1.0 μm) of multispectral ASTER data. Various image processing techniques like atmospheric correction, minimum noise fraction, pixel purity index, n-dimensional visualiser, and spectral angle mapper were applied to ASTER image to delineate bauxite rich zones. The pure pixels were differentiated from the mixed pixels using pixel purity index which were further subjected to n-dimensional visualiser to identify the target end-members. The presence of bauxite was confirmed by comparing the spectral signatures of end-members with in-built spectral plots of United States Geological Survey spectral libraries and categorized as bauxite and ferruginous bauxite. Finally, the end-members were categorised as bauxite and ferruginous bauxite and mapped using spectral angle mapper. The result obtained was further compared with the lithological map provided by Geological Survey of India for accuracy. Then XRF analysis was carried out for the collected samples to confirm the presence of bauxite and ferruginous bauxite. Geochemical analysis also categorized the samples as bauxite and ferruginous bauxite that added accuracy to the results obtained from remote sensing technique. This study might be considered as a time saving eco-friendly exploitation of natural resources and finally the potential of multispectral ASTER data for mapping mineral resources.
How will an increase in organic agricultural area affect land use in Germany?
Authors: Rasche Livia , Steinhauser Jan
Published: September 2022

Organic agriculture is an attractive land use alternative to conventional farming in terms of environmental and biodiversity protection. The official German target is a 30% share of organic agricultural area by 2030, while German stakeholders consider 24% realistic and 44% desirable. It is unclear how such a shift may affect the food and land use system. We use data from a crop/pest model to estimate yield differences between conventional and organic systems, and the FABLE accounting tool to assess changes in indicators like calories available per person and day, and the extent of cropland, pasture and area where natural processes predominate. We investigate how an increase in organic agricultural area may affect these indicators up to 2050, and if adaptation measures may become necessary to ameliorate the potential pressure to expand cropland or raise import rates. The results show that if organic agricultural area is increased, there will be a calorie deficit of 7–80 kcal per person and day, corresponding to 1000–5000 km2 of missing cropland. The deficit will disappear without any changes to the system by 2045 at the latest due to demographic and technological development. No additional cropland at all would be required if crop productivity increased at a higher rate than observed today, and an additional 600,000 ha could be freed even with a 30% share of organic agriculture. A higher share of organic agriculture is thus a realistic target for Germany, but technological advancements should accompany the transformation to minimize cropland demand.
Analysis of runoff variation and driving mechanism in Huangfuchuan River Basin in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, China
Authors: Huang Xin , Qiu Lin
Published: September 2022

To address the prominent problem of declining runoff in many rivers around the world, studying the law of runoff change and attribution analysis is very important for the planning and management of watershed water resources and has practical significance for solving the imbalance between supply and demand of watershed water resources and maintaining the healthy development of rivers. Three commonly used coupled water-energy balance equations based on Budyko hypothesis are selected to estimate the elasticity coefficient of runoff change to each driving factor, and the contribution rate of different factors to runoff change in the study area is quantified by the total differential method and the complementary method, respectively. The results show that the runoff of Huangfuchuan River basin showed a significant decreasing trend from 1954 to 2015, and the runoff mutation points were 1979 and 1996; in the alteration period I (1979–1996), precipitation was the main factor leading to the runoff reduction in Huangfuchuan River basin, followed by the influence of underlying surface; the contribution rate of underlying surface to runoff alterations ranged from 63.7% to 65.46%; the impact of potential evapotranspiration was slightly smaller. In the alteration period II (1997–2015), the underlying surface played a dominant role in runoff reduction of Huangfuchuan River basin. The contribution rate of the underlying surface to runoff change ranged from 80.21% to 86.34%, followed by precipitation, and the potential evapotranspiration had the least impact. The impact of human activities on the whole watershed increased with the passage of time. The land use change, the overall increase of NDVI (vegetation cover) and the construction of water conservation projects are important reasons for the reduction of runoff in Huangfuchuan River basin.