bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental factors and thresholds for nitrogen fixation by phytoplankton in tropical reservoirs
Authors: Moutinho Fellipe H. M. , Marafão Gabriela A. , Calijuri Maria do Carmo , Moreira Marcelo Z. , Marcarelli Amy M. , Cunha Davi G. F.
Published: January 2021

In theory, the phytoplankton community of freshwater ecosystems with low concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) can obtain this element by atmospheric nitrogen (N2) fixation. This process could explain the dominance of cyanobacteria in tropical reservoirs, yet is rarely quantified in these systems. Assessing the factors related to N2fixation can assist in the management of cyanobacterial blooms. Our study characterized environmental factors related to N2fixation in Brazilian tropical reservoirs with contrasting trophic states, and defined quantitative thresholds for water chemistry and physical characteristics that stimulated N2fixation. We used field assays with15N for estimating N2fixation rates by phytoplankton. The highest rates normalized by chlorophyll‐a(maximum of 143 × 10−4 μg‐N μg‐Chl‐a−1 h−1) coincided with eutrophic conditions and presence of diazotrophs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis provided significant thresholds for water temperature (≥22°C), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) (≥3.0 μg‐P L−1), total phosphorus (TP) (≥20.5 μg‐P L−1), DIN:SRP (≤487) and DIN:TP (≤82) molar ratios, chlorophyll‐a(≥12 μg L−1), and total suspended solids (≥4 mg L−1). Censored regressions confirmed that temperature, chlorophyll‐a, and phosphorus were important predictors of N2fixation rates. In general, the N2fixation rates determined in this study were lower than those found for temperate reservoirs. However, the temperature threshold of 22°C or above, identified in our analysis, suggests that phytoplankton have the potential to fix N2throughout the year in tropical reservoirs. Our results suggested that phosphorus is the main nutrient controlling the rates of N2fixation when N2‐fixing cyanobacteria were present. Phosphorus abatement is, thus, crucial for managing the trophic state and controlling N2‐fixing cyanobacteria in these ecosystems.
Heterogeneous induction of an invasive phenotype in prostate cancer cells by coculturing with patient‐derived fibroblasts
Authors: Ishii Kenichiro , Nakagawa Yasuhisa , Matsuda Chise , Katoh Daisuke , Ichishi Masako , Shirai Taku , Hirokawa Yoshifumi , Fujiwara Masaya , Sugimura Yoshiki , Watanabe Masatoshi
Published: January 2021

Prostate cancer (PCa) cells frequently invade the surrounding stroma, leading to heterogeneous formation of structural atypia. The surrounding stroma contains multiple functionally diverse populations of fibroblasts that trigger numerous changes in PCa cells including motility. Thus, we hypothesized that direct or indirect contact of PCa cells with fibroblasts determines an invasive phenotype in PCa cells. We investigated the effects of 10 different patient‐derived fibroblast lines on the three‐dimensional (3D) morphogenesis of PCa cells growing on a viscous substrate in vitro. When grown alone, all 10 patient‐derived fibroblast lines clumped on the viscous substrate, whereas the human androgen‐sensitive PCa cell line LNCaP did not. Cocultures of LNCaP cells with seven of the patient‐derived fibroblast lines (PrSC, pcPrF‐M5, pcPrF‐M7, pcPrF‐M23, pcPrF‐M24, pcPrF‐M28, and pcPrF‐M31) formed a thick fibroblast layer that resembled human prostate stromal structures. In contrast, cocultures of LNCaP cells with the remaining three fibroblast lines (NPF‐M13, pcPrF‐M10, and pcPrF‐M26) did not form a thick fibroblast layer. Of the seven fibroblast lines that caused thick layer formation, four patient‐derived fibroblast lines (PrSC, pcPrF‐M5, pcPrF‐M28, and pcPrF‐M31) induced an invasive phenotype in LNCaP cells with a cord‐like infiltrating growth pattern, whereas the other three fibroblast lines (pcPrF‐M7, pcPrF‐M23, and pcPrF‐M24) induced no or a very weak invasive phenotype. Using cell culture inserts, none of the four patient‐derived fibroblast lines that induced an invasive phenotype (PrSC, pcPrF‐M5, pcPrF‐M28, and pcPrF‐M31) affected CDH1 mRNA expression in LNCaP cells; yet, two patient‐derived fibroblast lines (pcPrF‐M5 and pcPrF‐M28) increased CDH2 mRNA expression in LNCaP cells, whereas the other two fibroblast lines (PrSC and pcPrF‐M31) did not. These results suggest that the existence of multiple functionally diverse populations of fibroblasts in PCa tissue may be responsible for the diversity in PCa cell invasion, leading to heterogeneous formation of structural atypia.
Thioxothiazolidin derivative, 4‐OST, inhibits melanogenesis by enhancing the specific recruitment of tyrosinase‐containing vesicles to lysosome
Authors: Isogawa Kenta , Asano Masataka , Hayazaki Masumi , Koga Kenichi , Watanabe Miyu , Suzuki Keiichi , Kobayashi Takahiro , Kawaguchi Kyoka , Ishizuka Akane , Kato Shinya , Ito Hironari , Hamamoto Akie , Koyama Hiroko , Furuta Kyoji , Takemori Hiroshi
Published: January 2021

Tyrosinase catalyzes the rate‐limiting step in melanin synthesis. Melanin is synthesized from l‐tyrosin in the melanosomes, where tyrosinase and other melanogenic factors are recruited via the vesicle transport system. Genetic and biochemical approaches have revealed a correlation between impairments in the vesicle transport system and albinism. However, the specificity of the individual transport systems for the corresponding melanogenic factors has not been well elucidated yet. Here, we report that the thioxothiazolidin derivative, 4‐OST (4‐[(5E)‐5‐[(4‐fluorophenyl)methylidene]‐4‐oxo‐2‐sulfanylidene‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐3‐yl]‐4‐azatricyclo [5.2.1.02,6]dec‐8‐ene‐3,5‐dione: CAS RN. 477766‐87‐3) strongly inhibited melanogenesis in mouse melanoma B16F10 cells. 4‐OST reduces tyrosinase protein levels without affecting its messenger RNA levels or enzymatic activity. Although a reduction in tyrosinase protein level was observed in the presence of a protein synthesis inhibitor, the reduction may be coupled with protein synthesis. Similarly, GIF‐2202 (a derivative of 4‐OST) lowers tyrosinase protein levels without affecting the levels of another melanogenic enzyme, tyrosinase‐related protein 1 (TYRP1) level. The reduction in tyrosinase protein level is associated with an increase in the levels of the lysosomal proteinase cathepsin S. Chloroquine, a lysosome inhibitor, restored the tyrosinase protein level downregulated by GIF‐2202, although no effects of other inhibitors (against proteasome, autophagy, or exocytosis) were observed. In addition, GIF‐2202 segregated the immunofluorescence signals of tyrosinase from those of TYRP1. Chloroquine treatment resulted in co‐localization of tyrosinase and cathepsin S signals near the perinuclear region, suggesting that 4‐OST and GIF‐2202 may alter the destination of the tyrosinase vesicle from the melanosome to the lysosome. 4‐OST and GIF‐2202 can be new tools for studying the tyrosinase‐specific vesicle transport system.
Cournot competition in the joint products market under demand uncertainty
Authors: Okura Mahito
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the market in Cournot competition under demand uncertainty when two firms compete with two joint products which are indivisible multiple goods, such as petroleum products. We investigate the situations in which no, either, or both firms have either no demand information or have demand information in one or both markets and examine how the differences in information structures affect the equilibrium expected profit of each firm.
Predictive potential of spectrum‐based topological descriptors for measuring theπ‐electronic energy of benzenoid hydrocarbons with applications to boron triangular and boronα‐nanotubes
Authors: Malik Muhammad Yasir Hayat , Hayat Sakander , Khan Suliman , Binyamin Muhammad Ahsan
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we determine the efficiency of all commonly occurring eigenvalues‐based topological descriptors for measuring theπ‐electronic energy of lower polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Results show some favorable outcomes as the spectrum‐based descriptors such as the adjacency energy, the arithmetic‐geometric energy, the geometric‐arithmetic energy, and the adjacency Estrada index have the best correlation coefficients greater than 0.999 among all others. However, certain well‐known spectrum‐based descriptors such as the adjacency, Laplacian & signless Laplacian spectral radii, and the first & second Zagreb Estrada indices show considerably weak performance. Poor performances of the first & second Zagreb Estrada indices are, in general, unexpected. The arithmetic‐geometric and geometric‐arithmetic energies with correlation coefficients 0.99997 and 0.99996, respectively, are warranted for further use in quantitative structure activity/property relationship (QSAR/QSPR) models. Based on our comparative testing, we generate a priority list of the top five spectrum‐based topological descriptors for measuring theπ‐electronic energy. These best preforming descriptors are then studied for certain infinite families of boron triangular and boronα‐nanotubes. The results help in determining theπ‐electronic energy of these families of boron nanotubes.

Combining our results with similar results studied in literature, we conclude that among all the classes of topological descriptors, spectrum‐based descriptors are the best in correlating theπ‐electronic energy.
High‐order compact finite difference method for the multi‐term time fractional mixed diffusion and diffusion‐wave equation
Authors: Yu Bo
Published: January 2021

In this paper, the multi‐term time fractional mixed diffusion and diffusion‐wave equation is investigated. Firstly, a compact finite difference scheme with fourth‐order spatial accuracy and high‐order temporal accuracy is derived. Then, the unconditional stability and convergence in the maximum norm of the derived high‐order compact finite difference method have been discussed rigorously by means of the energy method. Numerical experiments are presented to test the convergence order in the temporal and spatial direction, respectively. Additionally, to precisely demonstrate the computational efficiency of the derived high‐order compact finite difference method, the maximum norm error and the CPU time are measured in contrast with the second‐order finite difference scheme for the same temporal grid size. Finally, a practical example is presented to show the applicability of the time fractional mixed diffusion and diffusion‐wave model and the efficiency of the derived high‐order compact finite difference method.
Measuring efficiency of Indian states for reducing poverty using data envelopment analysis
Authors: Ambarkhane Dilip , Singh Ardhendu Shekhar , Venkataramani Bhama
Published: January 2021

Sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 emphasize on poverty reduction and inclusive growth. In India, development policies focusing on poverty reduction have been implemented since independence. However, there is evidence of rising inequality and slowing down of the rate of poverty reduction, after the introduction of economic reforms. The state governments in India have an important role to play in poverty alleviation. Thus, it is necessary to measure the performance of the states in respect of the same. Data envelopment analysis is used by considering input variables, namely, growth, development expenditure, irrigation, and government performance. Percentage of non‐poor is used as an output variable. This paper measures efficiency with which poverty has been alleviated in 19 states covering 90% population, for the years 2006, 2010, and 2014. Resource‐rich states are found to be inefficient, whereas states with resource scarcity use them efficiently. Moreover, poor states with lower per capita gross domestic product (GDP) are found to be more efficient as compared to those with higher per capita GDP. The states with high incidence of poverty are found to be catching up with states with low incidence of poverty. It is found that inequality and high indebtedness adversely impact the efficiency of states.
Managing Current Climate Variability Can Ensure Water Security Under Climate Change
Authors: Muller Mike
Published: January 2021

Water resources will be significantly impacted upon by climate change, and these impacts will be transmitted to the many sectors and services dependent on them. The nature, extent, and timing of these impacts remain uncertain, but the long lifetime of water infrastructures requires that their planning, development, and operations should be resilient to climate changes. An effective approach is to focus on the management of current climate variability as it relates to water, which strengthens the ability of communities and countries to foresee, manage, and adapt to the impacts of longer-term climate change on water-related activities. This approach is illustrated by cases from Southern and Eastern Africa.

Current “stationary” stochastic methods of hydrological analysis can still be used under assumptions of a “dynamic stationarity” although more regular updating of hydrological data will be required. Methodologies to evaluate economic dimensions of risk reduction introduce additional uncertainties but may help decision-makers to understand the risks and opportunities. Diversification of sources and sequencing of resource development pathways are helpful strategies to adapt to climate change but must ensure that risks affecting different sources are not correlated. Attention must also be given to demand-side interventions in order to reconcile supply and demand, and these perspectives must be shared with social, economic, and political actors to ensure that strategies are communicated, understood, and supported by the wider community.
Veränderung der psychischen Belastung in der COVID-19-Pandemie in Deutschland: Ängste, individuelles Verhalten und die Relevanz von Information sowie Vertrauen in Behörden
Authors: Skoda Eva-Maria , Spura Anke , De Bock Freia , Schweda Adam , Dörrie Nora , Fink Madeleine , Musche Venja , Weismüller Benjamin , Benecke Anke , Kohler Hannah , Junne Florian , Graf Johanna , Bäuerle Alexander , Teufel Martin
Published: January 2021

Hintergrund

Auswirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie auf die psychische Gesundheit zeigten sich bereits früh. Das Ausmaß der Auswirkungen, insbesondere kumulativ über die lang anhaltende Zeit der Pandemie, ist für Deutschland noch nicht umfassend untersucht worden.

Ziel der Arbeit

Ziel der Studie war es, psychische Belastungen sowie COVID-19-bezogene Erlebens- und Verhaltensweisen zu erheben und deren Veränderung über die verschiedenen Phasen der Pandemie in Deutschland darzustellen.

Material und Methoden

In die deutschlandweite onlinebasierte Querschnittsstudie (10.03.–27.07.2020) konnten 22.961 Menschen eingeschlossen werden (Convenience Sample). Erhoben wurden: generalisierte Angst (GAD-7), Depression (PHQ-2), psychischer Distress (DT) sowie COVID-19-bezogene Erlebens- und Verhaltensweisen wie COVID-19-bezogene Angst, Vertrauen in staatliche Maßnahmen, subjektives Informiertheitslevel, adhärentes Sicherheitsverhalten und persönliche Risikoeinschätzung für Ansteckung/Erkrankungsschwere. Die Pandemie wurde retrospektiv in 5 Phasen (Anfangs‑, Krisen‑, Lockdown‑, Neuorientierungsphase und „neue Normalität“) eingeteilt.

Ergebnisse

Es zeigten sich im Vergleich zu Prä-COVID-19-Referenzwerten anhaltend erhöhte Werte in GAD‑7, PHQ‑2 und DT. COVID-19-bezogene Angst, Informiertheitslevel, Vertrauen, Sicherheitsverhalten und die Einschätzung, an COVID-19 zu erkranken, zeigten, nach initial starkem Anstieg, einen Abfall bis z. T. unter den Ausgangswert. Ausnahme waren konstante Einschätzungen, einen schweren Verlauf von COVID-19 zu haben bzw. daran zu versterben.

Diskussion

Die durch alle Pandemiephasen anhaltend erhöhten Werte psychischer Belastung verdeutlichen die Notwendigkeit nachhaltiger Unterstützungsangebote. Sinkende Werte in Bezug auf Vertrauen in staatliche Maßnahmen und das subjektive Informiertheitslevel unterstreichen das Gebot gezielter Aufklärung.
Benzoyl ester formation in Aspergillus ustus by hijacking the polyketide acyl intermediates with alcohols
Authors: Zheng Liujuan , Li Shu-Ming
Published: January 2021

Accumulation of two benzoyl esters in Aspergillus ustus after feeding with alcohols was reported 30 years ago. To the best of our knowledge, the biosynthesis for these esters has not been elucidated prior to this study. Here, we demonstrate that these compounds are artifical products of the phenethyl polyketide ustethylin A biosynthestic pathway. In addition, four aditional benzoyl esters with different methylation levels were also isolated and identified as shunt products. Feeding experiments provided evidence that the enzyme-bound polyketide acyl intermediates are hijacked by externally fed MeOH or EtOH, leading to the formation of the benzoyl esters.

Graphic abstract
Perfluorobicyclo[2.2.0]hex-1(4)-ene as unique partner for Diels–Alder reactions with benzene: a density functional theory study
Authors: Kącka-Zych Agnieszka , Pérez Patricia
Published: January 2021

The mechanism of the Diels–Alder reactions between perfluorobicyclo[2.2.0]hex-1(4)-ene (1a) and bicyclo[2.2.0]hex-1(4)-ene (1b) with benzene (2a) and naphthalene (2b) has been studied within the density functional theory at the MPWB1K/6-311G(d,p) level. The bonding pattern in these reactions is analyzed in the topology of the electron localization function within the bonding evolution theory perspective. The bonding electron density changes along the reaction paths reveal that the C–C bond formation takes place through a synchronous and non-concerted one-step mechanism and proceeds with a moderate activation energy. The reactivity order with 1a is 2a–2b. The reactions begin by the rupture of the double bond in the strained 1a-b molecules, and then two pseudoradical centers at the 1a-b fragments are created. Finally, at the same time, two new single bonds are formed in the cycloaddition products. The TSs proceed with high global electron density transfer providing a polar character at these reactions.
Aspirin in people with dementia, long-term benefits, and harms: a systematic review
Authors: Davis Katrina A. S. , Bishara Delia , Molokhia Mariam , Mueller Christoph , Perera Gayan , Stewart Robert J.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

People with dementia may have indications for aspirin prescription and clinicians are asked to balance the potential risks against benefits. This review examines the evidence for the risk and benefit of long-term aspirin use in people with dementia aged over 65 years, including randomised controlled trials and observational studies.

Methods

We searched three databases for research published between 2007 and 2020. Each eligible article was assessed for risk of bias, and confidence in findings was rated using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).

Results

Four papers met inclusion criteria: one randomised controlled trial, two cohort studies, and one with pooled data. All looked only at dementia of Alzheimer’s type, and none addressed myocardial or cerebral infarction as outcomes. Dementia progression was reported by two studies, with conflicting results. The trial found no significant effect of aspirin on mortality (odds ratio aspirin vs. no aspirin 1.07, 95% confidence interval 0.58–1.97) but found more events of severe bleeding with aspirin (OR aspirin vs. no aspirin 6.9, 1.5–31.2). An excess in intracranial haemorrhage in the aspirin group was judged plausible based on two non-randomised studies.

Conclusions

The review findings are limited because studies include only people with Alzheimer’s-type dementia and lack confirmatory studies, although an increased risk of bleeding events is recognised. Further research that addresses the benefits and risks of aspirin in more representative groups of people with dementia is needed to guide prescribing decisions.
The effect of ionising radiation on the physical properties of 3D-printed polymer boluses
Authors: Jezierska Karolina , Sękowska Anna , Podraza Wojciech , Gronwald Helena , Łukowiak Magdalena
Published: January 2021

In recent years, a method for designing radiotherapy boluses using 3D printing technology has been established in the West Pomeranian Oncology Centre in Szczecin, Poland. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the ionising radiation used in radiotherapy affects the physical properties of the printing material. Particularly, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a 60 Gy X-ray radiation dose on the hardness and dimensions of 3D-printed boluses. Four cuboids were printed on a Zortrax M200 printer with acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) polymer. All printed samples were exposed to 60 Gy of X-ray radiation delivered by a medical accelerator. After irradiation, changes in the hardness (using Vickers test) and dimensions of the prints were measured. The therapeutic X-ray dose had a minimal effect on the dimensions of the printed samples, resulting in a maximum contraction of only 0.4%. Changes of the hardness were not statistically significant. In conclusion, regarding the radiotherapy planning process, the application of this therapeutic X-ray dose does not significantly influence the hardness and dimensions of ABS-printed boluses.
Pleiotropic function of the SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE gene TaSPL14 in wheat plant architecture
Authors: Cao Jie , Liu Kaiye , Song Wanjun , Zhang Jianing , Yao Yingyin , Xin Mingming , Hu Zhaorong , Peng Huiru , Ni Zhongfu , Sun Qixin , Du Jinkun
Published: January 2021

Main conclusion

The function ofSQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-BOXgeneTaSPL14in wheat is similar to that ofOsSPL14in rice in regulating plant height, panicle length, spikelet number, and thousand-grain weight of wheat, but differs during tiller development. TaSPL14 may regulate spike development via ethylene-response geneEIN3-LIKE 1(TaEIL1),ETHYLENE-RESPONSIVE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR 2.11(TaRAP2.11), andETHYLENE-RESPONSIVE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR 1(TaERF1), but notDENSE AND ERECT PANICLE 1(TaDEP1) in wheat.

TheSQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKEgeneOsSPL14from rice is considered to be a major determinant of ideal plant architecture consisting of few unproductive tillers, more grains per spike, and high resistance of stems to lodging. However, the function of its orthologous gene,TaSPL14, in wheat is unknown. Here, we reported the functional similarities and differences betweenTaSPL14andOsSPL14. Similar toOsSPL14knock-outs in rice, wheatTaSPL14knock-out plants exhibited decreased plant height, panicle length, spikelet number, and thousand-grain weight. In contrast toOsSPL14, however,TaSPL14did not affect tiller number. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression of genes related to ethylene response was significantly decreased in young spikes ofTaSPL14knock-out lines as compared with wild type. TaSPL14 directly binds to the promoters of the ethylene-response genesTaEIL1,TaRAP2.11,andTaERF1,and promotes their expression, suggesting thatTaSPL14might regulate wheat spike development via the ethylene-response pathway. The elucidation ofTaSPL14will contribute to understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie wheat plant architecture.
Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in pre-pubertal children with psoriasis
Authors: Caroppo Francesca , Galderisi Alfonso , Ventura Laura , Belloni Fortina Anna
Published: January 2021

Psoriasis in adults is associated with an increased risk of metabolic disease. Various cardiometabolic comorbidities have been reported in childhood psoriasis, but only a few studies have analyzed the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. We performed a single-center prospective study investigating the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in children with psoriasis. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was evaluated in 60 pre-pubertal children with psoriasis (age: 3–10 years), accordingly to recently established criteria for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in children. Insulin resistance was considered altered when the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) for insulin resistance was ≥ 90th sex- and age-specific percentile and HOMA 2-IR was > 1.8. Eighteen (30%) children with psoriasis were found to have metabolic syndrome. Sixteen (27%) children were found to have insulin resistance.

Conclusion: Our data underline the importance of assessing metabolic syndrome not only in adults and adolescents but also in young children with psoriasis.

What is Known:• Psoriasis in adults is strongly associated with metabolic disease and insulin resistance.• Very limited data are available on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in pre-pubertal children with psoriasis.

What is New:• This study reports that in pre-pubertal children with psoriasis, there is a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.• In children with psoriasis metabolic syndrome risk factors should be assessed.
Body composition monitoring in children and adolescents: reproducibility and reference values
Authors: Van Eyck Annelies , Eerens Sofie , Trouet Dominique , Lauwers Eline , Wouters Kristien , De Winter Benedicte Y. , van der Lee Johanna H. , Van Hoeck Koen , Ledeganck Kristien J.
Published: January 2021

There is an increasing need for suitable tools to evaluate body composition in paediatrics. The Body Composition Monitor (BCM) shows promise as a method, but reference values in children are lacking. Twenty children were included and measured twice by 4 different raters to asses inter- and intra-rater reproducibility of the BCM. Reliability was assessed using the Bland-Altman method and by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). The intra-rater ICCs were high (≥ 0.97) for all parameters measured by BCM as were the inter-rater ICCs for all parameters (≥ 0.98) except for overhydration (0.76). Consequently, a study was set up in which BCM measurements were performed in 2058 healthy children aged 3–18.5 years. The age- and gender-specific percentile values and reference curves for body composition (BMI, waist circumference, fat mass and lean tissue mass) and fluid status (extracellular and intracellular water and total body water) relative to age were produced using the GAMLSS method for growth curves.

Conclusion:A high reproducibility of BCM measurements was found for fat mass, lean tissue mass, extracellular water and total body water. Reference values for these BCM parameters were calculated in over 2000 children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years.What is Known• The 4-compartment model is regarded as the ‘gold standard’ of body composition methods, but is inappropriate for regular follow-up or screening of large groups, because of associated limitations.• Body Composition Monitor® is an inexpensive field method that has the potential to be an adequate monitoring tool.What is New• Good reproducibility of BCM measurements in children provides evidence to use the device in longitudinal follow-up, multicentre and comparative studies.• Paediatric reference values relative to age and sex for the various compartments of the body are provided.
Large Equilateral Sets in Subspaces of $$\ell _\infty ^n$$ of Small Codimension
Authors: Frankl Nóra
Published: January 2021

For fixed k we prove exponential lower bounds on the equilateral number of subspaces of $$\ell _{\infty }^n$$

ℓ

∞

n

of codimension k. In particular, we show that subspaces of codimension 2 of $$\ell _{\infty }^{n+2}$$

ℓ

∞

n
+
2

and subspaces of codimension 3 of $$\ell _{\infty }^{n+3}$$

ℓ

∞

n
+
3

have an equilateral set of cardinality $$n+1$$

n
+
1

if $$n\ge 7$$

n
≥
7

and $$n\ge 12$$

n
≥
12

respectively. Moreover, the same is true for every normed space of dimension n, whose unit ball is a centrally symmetric polytope with at most $${4n}/{3}-o(n)$$

4
n

/
3
-
o
(
n
)

pairs of facets.
Negotiation communication revisited
Authors: Schoop Mareike
Published: January 2021

Negotiators communicate with each other and decide on offers or requests. Whilst the decision side of negotiations has long been a focus of negotiation research, the communication side has not been extensively supported. The current paper revisits the need for a communication perspective in business negotiations and reviews current research on negotiation communication. Both strands of relevant work are then integrated to provide a concept of electronic negotiation communication and to discuss how this concept was implemented in the system Negoisst and thus operationalised.
Transorbital endoscopic approaches to the skull base: a systematic literature review and anatomical description
Authors: Vural Alperen , Carobbio Andrea Luigi Camillo , Ferrari Marco , Rampinelli Vittorio , Schreiber Alberto , Mattavelli Davide , Doglietto Francesco , Buffoli Barbara , Rodella Luigi Fabrizio , Taboni Stefano , Tomasoni Michele , Gualtieri Tommaso , Deganello Alberto , Hirtler Lena , Nicolai Piero
Published: January 2021

Transorbital endoscopic approaches are increasing in popularity as they provide corridors to reach various areas of the ventral skull base through the orbit. They can be used either alone or in combination with different approaches when dealing with the pathologies of the skull base. The objective of the current study is to evaluate the surgical anatomy of transorbital endoscopic approaches by cadaver dissections as well as providing objective clinical data on their actual employment and morbidity through a systematic review of the current literature. Four cadaveric specimens were dissected, and step-by-step dissection of each endoscopic transorbital approach was performed to identify the main anatomic landmarks and corridors. A systematic review with pooled analysis of the current literature from January 2000 to April 2020 was performed and the related studies were analyzed. Main anatomical landmarks are presented based on the anatomical study and systematic review of the literature. With emphasis on the specific transorbital approach used, indications, surgical technique, and complications are reviewed through the systematic review of 42 studies (19 in vivo and 23 anatomical dissections) including 193 patients. In conclusion, transorbital endoscopic approaches are promising and appear as feasible techniques for the surgical treatment of skull base lesions. Surgical anatomy of transorbital endoscopic approaches can be mastered through knowledge of a number of anatomical landmarks. Based on data available in the literature, transorbital endoscopic approaches represent an important complementary that should be included in the armamentarium of a skull base team.
Akute Nierenschädigung bei kardiorenalem Syndrom
Authors: Braun Gerald S. , Kittelmann Katharina , Floege Jürgen
Published: January 2021

Die Inzidenz einer akuten Nierenschädigung infolge einer akuten kardialen Insuffizienz ist aufgrund der Altersentwicklung der Bevölkerung und des medizinischen Fortschritts weiter zunehmend. Pathophysiologisch betrachtet wird dieses sog. kardiorenale Syndrom Typ 1 (CRS1) durch die venöse Kongestion sowie begleitende neurohumorale und auch inflammatorische Faktoren getrieben. Prävention, Diagnostik und Therapie fußen in erster Linie auf dem Erkennen und der Behandlung der kardialen Problematik einschließlich einer dekongestiven Rekompensation. Für den nephrologischen Gebrauch werden hier die aktuellen Definitionen und Faktoren der akuten Herzinsuffizienz zusammengefasst. Epidemiologie und Pathophysiologie der Nierenschädigung im Rahmen der Herzinsuffizienz werden beschrieben. Praktische Handlungsempfehlungen zur Rekompensationstherapie und deren Monitoring werden anhand des aktuellen Konsensus und der Evidenz gegeben. Dies umfasst auch Mechanismen und Prinzipien der diuretischen Therapie. Der Ausblick behandelt relevante Studien zur aktuellen medikamentösen Therapie der Herzinsuffizienz.
Kompetenzanforderungen an Führungskräfte von agilen Softwareentwicklungsteams
Authors: Anke Sarah , Ringeisen Tobias
Published: January 2021

Auf Basis des Great Eight-Kompetenzrahmens stellt dieser Beitrag der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) eine Studie zu den Kompetenzanforderungen an Projektleiter*innen in hochdigitalisierten Arbeitsumgebungen der agilen Softwareentwicklung vor und definiert den zugehörigen Führungserfolg. Es wurden elf Einzelinterviews mit Expert*innen eines internationalen IT-Dienstleisters durchgeführt, die verschiedene Rollen im Kontext der Softwareentwicklung ausfüllten. Die Interviews wurden mittels qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse anhand eines Kategoriensystems computergestützt ausgewertet. Es konnte ein Anforderungsprofil identifiziert werden, das 20 Kompetenzfacetten im Sinne leistungsrelevanter Verhaltensweisen umfasst. Eine bis drei Kompetenzfacetten ließen sich jeweils einer von 12 übergeordneten Kompetenzdimensionen zuordnen, wobei jede Domäne der Great Eight durch mindestens eine Kompetenzdimension repräsentiert war. Die Domänen Leading and Deciding (Motivationsfähigkeit; Mitarbeiterförderung), Interacting and Presenting (Kommunikationsfähigkeit; Konfliktfähigkeit) sowie Analyzing and Interpreting (Kenntnisse IT-Branche; Überblickswissen Softwareentwicklung; agile Arbeitsmethoden) umfassten jeweils zwei bzw. drei Kompetenzdimensionen. Die restlichen fünf Domänen wurden jeweils durch eine Kompetenzdimension abgebildet (Supporting und Cooperating: Teamfähigkeit; Creating and Conceptualizing: Offenheit; Organizing and Executing: Zeit- und Ressourcenmanagement; Adapting and Coping: Proaktiver Umgang mit Fehlern; Enterprising and Performing: Begeisterungsfähigkeit für Softwareentwicklung). Die Domänen Analyzing and Interpreting sowie Enterprising and Performing bilden Kompetenzanforderungen ab, die spezifisch für den Arbeitskontext der agilen Softwareentwicklung sind. Führungserfolg liegt vor, wenn lauffähige Software ressourceneffizient nach Kundenwünschen entwickelt wird und die Teammitglieder gleichzeitig eine hohe Arbeitszufriedenheit berichten. Zusammenfassend lassen sich Kompetenzanforderungen an Projektleiter*innen in digitalisiert und agil agierenden Softwareentwicklerteams anhand der Great Eight konzeptualisieren, wobei das Anforderungsportfolio vier tätigkeitsfeldspezifische und acht kontextunabhängige Kompetenzdimensionen vereint, die sich jeweils anhand relevanter Verhaltensweisen für den Führungsalltag definieren lassen.
Database (Lecture) Streams on the Cloud
Authors: Dittrich Jens , Maltry Marcel
Published: January 2021

This is an experience report on teaching the undergrad lecture Big Data Engineering at Saarland University in summer term 2020 online. We describe our teaching philosophy, the tools used, what worked and what did not work. As we received extremely positive feedback from the students, we will continue to use the same teaching model for other lectures in the future.
High-Performance Distributed Brillouin Optical Fiber Sensing
Authors: Dong Yongkang
Published: January 2021

This paper reviews the recent advances on the high-performance distributed Brillouin optical fiber sensing, which include the conventional distributed Brillouin optical fiber sensing based on backward stimulated Brillouin scattering and two other novel distributed sensing mechanisms based on Brillouin dynamic grating and forward stimulated Brillouin scattering, respectively. As for the conventional distributed Brillouin optical fiber sensing, the spatial resolution has been improved from meter to centimeter in the time-domain scheme and to millimeter in the correlation-domain scheme, respectively; the measurement time has been reduced from minute to millisecond and even to microsecond; the sensing range has reached more than 100 km. Brillouin dynamic grating can be used to measure the birefringence of a polarization-maintaining fiber, which has been explored to realize distributed measurement of temperature, strain, salinity, static pressure, and transverse pressure. More recently, forward stimulated Brillouin scattering has gained considerable interest because of its capacity to detect mechanical features of materials surrounding the optical fiber, and remarkable works using ingenious schemes have managed to realize distributed measurement, which opens a brand-new way to achieve position-resolved substance identification.
Recent Progress in Fiber-Optic Hydrophones
Authors: Meng Zhou , Chen Wei , Wang Jianfei , Hu Xiaoyang , Chen Mo , Zhang Yichi
Published: January 2021

Fiber-optic hydrophone (FOH) is a significant type of acoustic sensor, which can be used in both military and civilian fields such as underwater target detection, oil and natural gas prospecting, and earthquake inspection. The recent progress of FOH is introduced from five aspects, including large-scale FOH array, very-low-frequency detection, fiber-optic vector hydrophone (FOVH), towed linear array, and deep-sea and long-haul transmission. The above five aspects indicate the future development trends in the FOH research field, and they also provide a guideline for the practical applications of FOH as well as its array.
Recent Advances in Phase-Sensitive Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (Ф-OTDR)
Authors: Rao Yunjiang , Wang Zinan , Wu Huijuan , Ran Zengling , Han Bing
Published: January 2021

Phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometry (Ф-OTDR) is an effective way to detect vibrations and acoustic waves with high sensitivity, by interrogating coherent Rayleigh backscattering light in sensing fiber. In particular, fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) based on the Ф-OTDR with phase demodulation has been extensively studied and widely used in intrusion detection, borehole seismic acquisition, structure health monitoring, etc., in recent years, with superior advantages such as long sensing range, fast response speed, wide sensing bandwidth, low operation cost and long service lifetime. Significant advances in research and development (R&D) of Ф-OTDR have been made since 2014. In this review, we present a historical review of Ф-OTDR and then summarize the recent progress of Ф-OTDR in the Fiber Optics Research Center (FORC) at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), which is the first group to carry out R&D of Ф-OTDR and invent ultra-sensitive DAS (uDAS) seismometer in China which is elected as one of the ten most significant technology advances of PetroChina in 2019. It can be seen that the Ф-OTDR/DAS technology is currently under its rapid development stage and would reach its climax in the next 5 years.
Immunosuppression-related neurological disorders in kidney transplantation
Authors: Faravelli Irene , Velardo Daniele , Podestà Manuel Alfredo , Ponticelli Claudio
Published: January 2021

A large number of neurological disorders can affect renal transplant recipients, potentially leading to disabling or life-threatening complications. Prevention, early diagnosis and appropriate management of these conditions are critical to avoid irreversible lesions. A pivotal role in the pathogenesis of common post-transplant neurological disorders is played by immunosuppressive therapy. The most frequently administered regimen consists of triple immunosuppression, which comprises a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI), a purine synthesis inhibitor and glucocorticoids. Some of these immunosuppressive drugs may lead to neurological signs and symptoms through direct neurotoxic effects, and all of them may be responsible for the development of tumors or opportunistic infections. In this review, after a brief summary of neurotoxic pathogenetic mechanisms encompassing recent advances in the field, we focus on the clinical presentation of more common and severe immunosuppression-related neurological complications, classifying them by characteristics of urgency and anatomic site. Our goal is to provide a general framework that addresses such clinical issues with a multidisciplinary approach, as these conditions require.
State-based targeted vaccination
Authors: Lev Tomer , Shmueli Erez
Published: January 2021

Vaccination has become one of the most prominent measures for preventing the spread of infectious diseases in modern times. However, mass vaccination of the population may not always be possible due to high costs, severe side effects, or shortage. Therefore, identifying individuals with a high potential of spreading the disease and targeted vaccination of these individuals is of high importance. While various strategies for identifying such individuals have been proposed in the network epidemiology literature, the vast majority of them rely solely on the network topology. In contrast, in this paper, we propose a novel targeted vaccination strategy that considers both the static network topology and the dynamic states of the network nodes over time. This allows our strategy to find the individuals with the highest potential to spread the disease at any given point in time. Extensive evaluation that we conducted over various real-world network topologies, network sizes, vaccination budgets, and parameters of the contagion model, demonstrates that the proposed strategy considerably outperforms existing state-of-the-art targeted vaccination strategies in reducing the spread of the disease. In particular, the proposed vaccination strategy further reduces the number of infected nodes by 23–99%, compared to a vaccination strategy based on Betweenness Centrality.
A proposal to determine the distribution of lateral forces from loaded recycled plastic drainage kerbs
Authors: O’Flaherty Fin , Al-Shawi Fathi
Published: January 2021

This study presents a detailed analysis of the lateral forces generated as a result of vertically applied loads to recycled plastic drainage kerbs. These kerbs are a relatively new addition to road infrastructure projects. When concrete is used to form road drainage kerbs, its deformation is minimum when stressed under heavy axle loads. Although recycled plastic kerbs are more environmentally friendly as a construction product, they are less stiff than concrete and tend to deform more under loading leading to a bursting type, lateral force being applied to the haunch materials, the magnitude of which is unknown. A method is proposed for establishing the distribution of these lateral forces resulting from deformation under laboratory test conditions. A load of 400 kN is applied onto a total of six typical kerbs in the laboratory in accordance with the test standard. The drainage kerbs are surrounded with 150 mm of concrete to the front and rear haunch and underneath as is normal during installation. The lateral forces exerted on the concrete surround as a result of deformation of the plastic kerbs are determined via a strain measuring device. Analysis of the test data allows the magnitude of the lateral forces to the surrounding media to be determined and, thereby, ensuring the haunch materials are not over-stressed as a result. The proposed test methodology and subsequent analysis allows for an important laboratory-based assessment of any typical recycled plastic drainage kerbs to be conducted to ensure they are fit-for-purpose in the field.
Characterizing Khetri copper mine environment using geospatial tools
Authors: Punia Anita , Joshi Pawan Kumar , Siddaiah Neelam Siva
Published: January 2021

Mines result in land use and land cover (LULC) change due to degradation of natural resources and establishment of new infrastructure for ore extraction and beneficiation. The present study was carried out to, with objectives, (1) characterize LULC change (from 1975 to 2017) in Khetri copper mine region, (2) spatial distribution of pollution indices and (3) spectral response of elemental concentration of soil and groundwater using Landstat and ASTER satellite data. The study was designed to fulfil the objectives and for the same NDVI values were calculated for LULC classification and generated maps were analyzed for landscape pattern. Spatial distribution of pollution indices calculated using geochemical data of soil and groundwater was plotted to understand the impact of contamination on landscape pattern. The correlation of spectral response of Landstat bands with heavy metals concentration was plotted to assess their possible use in quantification of heavy metals. Results show constant increase in settlements, mines and open area while vegetation cover has decreased. Landscape and class level metrics (number of patch, patch density, aggregation index and landscape shape index) indicate increase in the fragmentation of landscape in recent years. Shannon’s Evenness Index indicates increase in uniformity in landscape and it is attributed to loss of vegetation and agriculture patches. Pollution indices, Pollution Load Index for soil is high near the overburden materials and Index of Environmental Risk (IER) and Contamination Index for ground water is high near abandoned mines. Spectral bands 5 and 6 (SWIR 1) show significant negative correlation, and 9 (Cirrus) shows significant positive correlation with metal concentration in soil and water suggesting the possible use of remote sensing in assessment of metal concentration at ground level. Thus, it can be concluded that mines significantly influence the landscape pattern and remote sensing could be used for the assessment and predication of heavy metal contamination at broader scale in a cost-effective way.
Fish bone-derived interconnected carbon nanofibers for efficient and lightweight microwave absorption
Authors: Gu Yangyang , Dai Peng , Zhang Wen , Su Zhanwen
Published: January 2021

In this work, we demonstrated a simple method for preparing three-dimensional interconnected carbon nanofibers (ICNF) derived from fish bone as an efficient and lightweight microwave absorber. The as-obtained ICNF exhibits excellent microwave absorption performance with a maximum reflection loss of –59.2 dB at the filler content of 15 wt%. In addition, the effective absorption bandwidth can reach 4.96 GHz at the thickness of 2 mm. The outstanding microwave absorption properties can be mainly ascribed to its well-defined interconnected nanofibers architecture and the doping of nitrogen atoms, which are also better than most of the reported carbon-based absorbents. This work paves an attractive way for the design and fabrication of highly efficient and lightweight electromagnetic wave absorbers.
Ecosemiotic Landscape
Authors: Farina Almo
Published: January 2021

The distinction between humans and the natural world is an artefact and more a matter of linguistic communication than a conceptual separation. This Element proposes ecosemiotics as an epistemological tool to better understand the relationship between human and natural processes. Ecosemiotics with its affinity to the humanities, is presented here as the best disciplinary approach for interpreting complex environmental conditions for a broad audience, across a multitude of temporal and spatial scales. It is proposed as an intellectual bridge between divergent sciences to incorporate within a unique framework different paradigms. The ecosemiotic paradigm helps to explain how organisms interact with their external environments using mechanisms common to all living beings that capture external information and matter for internal usage. This paradigm can be applied in all the circumstances where a living being (man, animal, plant, fungi, etc.) performs processes to stay alive.