bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Successful Treatment of Pigmentary Disorders in Asians With a Novel 730‐nm Picosecond Laser
Authors: Lee Sang Ju , Han Hye Sung , Hong Jun Ki , Park Kui Young , Seo Seong Jun
Published: May 2020

Background and Objective

Until recently, quality‐switched nanosecond lasers have been the workhorse lasers in treating pigmented lesions. However, the recently commercialized picosecond lasers have provided physicians with a novel method to manage pigmented lesions. Most recently, the first picosecond laser with a 730‐nm wavelength was developed to specifically target melanin and melanocytes.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

We report on two Asian patients with freckles, lentigines, and melasma who were successfully treated with a novel 730‐nm Ti:Sapphire picosecond laser (Picoway®; Syneron Candela, Corp). The clinical outcome was measured by the global percent of clearance, which was evaluated by blinded observers by comparing the post‐treatment photographs with the baseline photographs.

Results

In both patients, a significant pigmentary reduction was achieved with only one treatment session. In both patients, the treatments were well tolerated with minimal discomfort even without topical anesthesia. No post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation or repigmentation was observed until the 6‐week follow‐up. The pigmentary conditions treated included freckles, lentigines, and melasma. Both subjects showed clinical improvement, with the best results observed for the treatment of freckles such that 95% of the lesions achieved excellent response (75–94% lightening).

Conclusion

The results of this case report indicate that a novel 730‐nm Ti:Sapphire picosecond laser may be effective and safe in treating pigmentary disorders in darker‐skinned patients. Therefore, further well‐designed, prospective clinical trials are warranted to establish the potential of 730‐nm picosecond lasers and determine the optimal treatment parameters in comparison to existing laser and light modalities. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC
Loss‐of‐function mutation in TSGA10 causes acephalic spermatozoa phenotype in human
Authors: Ye Yuanyuan , Wei Xiaoli , Sha Yanwei , Li Na , Yan Xiaohong , Cheng Ling , Qiao Duanrui , Zhou Weidong , Wu Rongfeng , Liu Qiaobin , Li Youzhu
Published: May 2020

Background

Acephalic spermatozoa is an extremely rare type of teratozoospermia that is associated with male infertility. Several genes have been reported to be relevant to acephalic spermatozoa. Thus, more genetic pathogenesis needs to be explored.

Methods

Whole‐exome sequencing was performed in a patient with acephalic spermatozoa. Then Sanger sequencing was used for validation in the patient and his family. The patient's spermatozoa sample was observed by papanicolaou staining and transmission electron microscopy. Western blot and immunofluorescence were performed to detect the level and localization of related proteins.

Results

A novel homozygous frameshift insertion mutation c.545dupT;p.Ala183Serfs*10 in exon 8 of TSGA10 (NM_001349012.1) was identified. Our results showed misarranged mitochondrial sheath and abnormal flagellum in the patient's spermatozoa. TSGA10 failed to be detected in the patient's spermatozoa. However, the expression of SUN5 and PMFBP1 remained unaffected.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the novel homozygous frameshift insertion mutation of TSGA10 is a cause of acephalic spermatozoa.
Propagation of Rayleigh waves in unsaturated porothermoelastic media
Authors: Liu Hongbo , Zhou Fengxi , Wang Liye , Zhang Ruiling
Published: May 2020

Based on the frame of elastic theory for unsaturated porous medium, considering the influence of thermal effect, the propagation characteristics of Rayleigh wave in unsaturated porous media are studied. Firstly, the thermoelastic wave equations for three‐phase porous media are established, in which the mass balance equations, generalized Darcy law, momentum balance equations, and generalized non‐Fourier heat conduction law are taken into account. Secondly, through theoretical derivation, the dispersion equation of Rayleigh wave for unsaturated porothermoelastic media is given by introducing the potential functions. Finally, the variations of the phase velocity of Rayleigh wave are analyzed with numerical examples. The results show that the thermal conductivity has little effect on the phase velocity of Rayleigh wave. The phase velocity of Rayleigh wave increase with increasing of the thermal expansion coefficient and media temperature.
Be aware of how COVID‐19 could impact international students
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: May 2020

The spread of COVID‐19 has impacted every aspect of college and university operations — and life in general. As you look ahead, consider ways the pandemic could impact your current and potential international students so you can implement plans to address the challenges.
Find your program's unique facets to corner the market
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: May 2020

A world‐renowned aviation program may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider departments that live under the College of Education. But for Jean Haar, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Minnesota, Mankato, the aviation program is a singular attraction for her department, and one that pulls in a steady stream of adult learners.
Registration of ‘UI Bronze Jade’ hard white winter wheat
Authors: Chen J. , Wheeler J. , Klassen N. , Zhao W. , O'Brien K. , Jackson C. , Marshall J. M. , Schroeder K. , Chen X. M.
Published: May 2020

‘UI Bronze Jade’ (Reg. no. CV‐1160, PI 691501) hard white winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed and released by the Idaho Agricultural Experimental Station in 2019. It was developed from the cross ‘UI Silver’(PI 658467)/IDO660 using a modified bulk breeding method and selected in F4:6 yield plots. UI Bronze Jade was tested as the experimental number A0709W‐44 from 2014 to 2017 and as IDO1706 in 2018 and 2019. Compared with the known high‐quality hard white check cultivar UI Silver in Idaho and in the Pacific Northwest, UI Bronze Jade had significantly higher grain yield, shorter plant height, and better resistance to stripe rust. UI Bronze Jade is adapted to irrigated and dryland production environments in southeastern Idaho and in rainfed environments in northern Idaho.
Mechanistic Models as Framework for Understanding Biomarker Disposition: Prediction of Creatinine‐Drug Interactions
Authors: Scotcher Daniel , Arya Vikram , Yang Xinning , Zhao Ping , Zhang Lei , Huang Shiew‐Mei , Rostami‐Hodjegan Amin , Galetin Aleksandra
Published: May 2020

Creatinine is widely used as a biomarker of glomerular filtration, and, hence, renal function. However, transporter‐mediated secretion also contributes to its renal clearance, albeit to a lesser degree. Inhibition of these transporters causes transient serum creatinine elevation, which can be mistaken as impaired renal function. The current study developed mechanistic models of creatinine kinetics within physiologically based framework accounting for multiple transporters involved in creatinine renal elimination, assuming either unidirectional or bidirectional‐OCT2 transport (driven by electrochemical gradient). Robustness of creatinine models was assessed by predicting creatinine‐drug interactions with 10 perpetrators; performance evaluation accounted for 5% intra‐individual variability in serum creatinine. Models showed comparable predictive performances of the maximum steady‐state effect regardless of OCT2 directionality assumptions. However, only the bidirectional‐OCT2 model successfully predicted the minimal effect of ranitidine. The dynamic nature of models provides clear advantage to static approaches and most advanced framework for evaluating interplay between multiple processes in creatinine renal disposition.
A Highly Sensitive Single Crystal Perovskite–Graphene Hybrid Vertical Photodetector
Authors: Zou Yuting , Zou Tingting , Zhao Chen , Wang Bin , Xing Jun , Yu Zhi , Cheng Jinluo , Xin Wei , Yang Jianjun , Yu Weili , Dong Huanli , Guo Chunlei
Published: May 2020

Organolead trihalide perovskites have attracted significant attention for optoelectronic applications due to their excellent physical properties in the past decade. Generally, both grain boundaries in perovskite films and the device structure play key roles in determining the device performance, especially for horizontal‐structured device. Here, the first optimized vertical‐structured photodetector with the perovskite single crystal MAPbBr3 as the light absorber and graphene as the transport layer is shown. The hybrid device combines strong photoabsorption characteristics of perovskite and high carrier mobility of flexible graphene, exhibits excellent photoresponse performance with high photoresponsivity (≈1017.1 A W−1) and high photodetectivity (≈2.02 × 1013 Jones) in a low light intensity (0.66 mW cm−2) under the actuations of 3 V bias and laser irradiation at 532 nm. In particular, an ultrahigh photoconductive gain of ≈2.37 × 103 is attained because of fast charge transfer in the graphene and large recombination lifetime in the perovskite single crystal. The vertical architecture combining perovskite crystal with highly conductive graphene offers opportunities to fulfill the synergistic effect of perovskite and 2D materials, is thus promising for developing high‐performance electronic and optoelectronic devices.
Evolution of the conodont Diplognathodus ellesmerensis from D. benderi sp. nov. at the Bashkirian–Moscovian (lower–middle Pennsylvanian) boundary in South China
Authors: Hu Keyi , Hogancamp Nicholas J. , Lambert Lance L. , Qi Yuping , Chen Jitao
Published: May 2020

Conodont assemblages from the Bashkirian–Moscovian boundary interval in the Naqing section, South China have been studied in detail. A landmark‐based geometric morphometric analysis of the evolution of Diplognathodus ellesmerensis is presented. This analysis helps demonstrate that a distinct new species, D. benderi sp. nov., is the direct evolutionary ancestor of D. ellesmerensis. The potential of using the first appearance datum (FAD) of D. ellesmerensis as the Bashkirian–Moscovian boundary marker is re‐evaluated via biostratigraphic correlations of conodonts and other fossil groups between different palaeogeographical basins. The FAD of D. ellesmerensis from within the D. benderi sp. nov.–D. ellesmerensis lineage is an excellent potential marker to recognize a global Bashkirian–Moscovian boundary because of its global distribution, the abundance of supplementary marker species at similar stratigraphical levels, and the close stratigraphic proximity of the FAD to the traditional Bashkirian–Moscovian boundary, thus largely preserving the original concept of the base of the Moscovian Stage.
Joints with lockbolts in steel structures – Part 1: Lockbolt technology
Authors: Glienke Ralf , Schwarz Mathias , Ebert Andreas , Blunk Christoph , Wanner Martin‐Christoph
Published: May 2020

Many mechanical joints in steel structures use conventional bolts. Nevertheless, this proven jointing technology has some significant disadvantages. These basically include the high levels of scatter during application of the assembly preload using the torque‐controlled tightening process, the risk of loosening during cyclic loads due to transverse displacement of the components and the low fatigue resistance under axial loading. Lockbolt technology was invented as long ago as the 1930s and mainly used for the aviation and space industry because of its evident advantages. This jointing technology has been constantly further developed in response to the most diverse demands from sectors such as aviation, commercial vehicles, rail vehicles, agricultural machinery, defence technology and steel structures. The application of lockbolt technology, which is primarily used in mechanical engineering, was in most cases based on individual studies, since no consistent rules and guidelines were available for the design and execution of lockbolt connections in steel structures. Within the scope of several public research projects funded by the AiF (German Federation of Industrial Research Associations) and conducted by the iGF (Industrial Collective Research) organization as well as through approval investigations, the Fraunhofer Institute for Large Structures in Production Engineering (IGP) has successively developed the necessary design rules according to the EN 1993 standard (Eurocode 3) for use in structural connections. This paper presents connections with lockbolts in steel structures. Following an introduction to lockbolt technology and the assembly preload of lockbolts, the securing effect and corrosion protection of lockbolts are presented.
Structured Film-Viewing Preferences and Practices: A Quantitative Analysis of Hierarchies in Screen and Content Selection Among Young People in Flanders
Authors: Veenstra Aleit , Meers Philippe , Biltereyst Daniël
Published: May 2020

In today’s media cultural environment, audiences seem to have access to virtually any movie at any time, going beyond the traditional restrictions of windowing, programming and broadcast schedules. This chapter goes into the question whether this increased accessibility has resulted in different film-consuming practices and preferences, through a survey of contemporary film audiences and their individual feature film preferences and consumption practices among 1015 youngsters in Flanders aged 16–18. This study comes to the conclusion that structures in film consumption prove to be rather traditional in terms of screen size choices and preferences for local and global media products. In our assessment of these results, we discuss the importance of a political–economic perspective on audiences’ structured practices and preferences.
Uses Genres and Media Ensembles: A Conceptual Roadmap for Research of Convergent Audiences
Authors: Macek Jakub
Published: May 2020

This chapter tackles one of the main methodological and conceptual challenges to current audience research: fragmentation of viewers’ practices of reception. The use of digital and networked media and the consequent multiplication of screens, distribution channels and content sources have further complicated the notion of “watching television” and, along with that, academic and applied audience research. The chapter reintroduces Maria Bakardjieva’s concept of uses genres and connects it with the concept of media ensemble, suggesting that for research on the domestic consumption of films and TV series, the application of these concepts in qualitative (ethnographic) research and in audience surveys comes with strong advantages. Firstly, the concepts help to identify distinct types of consumption practices linked with specific technological objects, with specific audiovisual content and with typical everyday situations, and they enable us to analyze consumption explicitly within the contexts of the spatiotemporal and social organization of everyday life. Secondly, in cases of small- and peripheral-market audiences, the concepts enable us to identify specifics in audiences’ practices linked with the characteristics of these markets (e.g., with localized and non-localized content, with domestic and global production, etc.). And thirdly, the concepts explicitly acknowledge power both involved in and shaping the analyzed practices by emphasizing the “generative process of technology,” i.e., the transformative role of users’ practices in shaping technological and economic systems.
Territoriality of Copyright Law
Authors: Polčák Radim
Published: May 2020

Jurisdiction (from Latin iuris dicere) is the general authority of a sovereign to implement legal rules that normatively affect the behavior of individuals. The scope of jurisdiction of a particular sovereign is traditionally delimited in law on a territorial basis. On the Internet, however, territory plays a significantly different role than in the offline environment, and this difference represents an evolving challenge for legal scholars as well as for practicing lawyers. In this chapter, we discuss the territorial scope of the application of copyright law on the Internet. We analyze the concept of the territoriality of copyrights as such and discuss particular regulatory paradoxes that arise from a strictly territorial application of various components of copyright law on the Internet. We also focus on the concept of the place of use of copyrighted work and the related concept of the place of damage (locus delicti), and we consequently discuss the legal nature of geoblocking tools and question their understanding as specifically legally protected “technical measures.”
Television Distribution in Flanders: Who Takes the Lead and Is Content Always King?
Authors: Raats Tim , Donders Karen
Published: May 2020

In an increasingly platform-dominated media environment, the production and distribution models of legacy players, and their economic profitability as well as original content production, are challenged by new business models. The advent of innovative platforms and shifting business models has not only instigated new forms of competition but has also forced media players to explore different forms of collaboration and co-option. In this chapter, we discuss the disruptions and consequences for legacy media players by centering our attention on the different answers given by media managers regarding the strategic distribution of audiovisual content in small markets. We thereby focus on three core strategies: scale, collaboration within domestic ecosystems and diversification of offerings and valorization. The chapter presents evidence from Flanders, but also provides a broader view by discussing shifts on the level of small markets in Europe and by addressing the challenges and concerns in other small media markets. The chapter investigates media companies’ strategic responses to specific challenges from 2016 to 2019. Evidence is derived from observations, interviews with the media managers of private media players in Flanders and from insights from recent research looking into the sustainability of content production and delivery in Flanders.
Industry Divide: The Interdependence of Traditional Cinematic Distribution and VOD in Poland
Authors: Adamczak Marcin
Published: May 2020

This chapter focuses on the mutual relations and influences between the VOD market and traditional cinematic distribution in the case of the local Polish market. The main topic is the separateness of both fields in the aspects of business logic and corporate control. According to these factors, the VOD market is much closer to traditional TV and cinematic distributors are cut off from the main flow of revenues from VOD. They are selling rights at cheap prices or are forced to sell large packages of numerous films. The current growth of profits in Polish cinematic distribution is caused by the expanding traditional market. The Polish VOD market is more concentrated around the most powerful players and has much higher barriers to entry than the traditional cinematic distribution market. The revenue stream is more tightly controlled by the entities dominating the VOD market, acting mostly in the interest of their own and their superior corporate structures, unwilling to share it with outside content providers. Therefore, the traditional cinematic market players—distributors and, indirectly, producers—are largely cut off from the stream of VOD revenue and are looking for alternative development models.
Probabilistic optimisation of mono-stringer composite stiffened panels in post-buckling regime
Authors: Farokhi Hamed , Bacarreza Omar , Aliabadi M.H. Ferri
Published: May 2020

In this paper, a multi-objective probabilistic design optimisation approach is presented for reliability and robustness analysis of composite structures and demonstrated on a mono-omega-stringer stiffened panel. The proposed approach utilises a global surrogate model of the composite structure while accounting for uncertainties in material properties as well as geometry. Unlike the multi-level optimisation approach which freezes some parameters at each level, the proposed approach allows for all parameters to change at the same time and hence ensures global optimum solutions in the given parameter design space (for both probabilistic and deterministic optimisations) within a certain degree of accuracy. The proposed approach is used in this study to conduct extensive multi-objective probabilistic and deterministic optimisations (without considering safety factors) on a mono-stringer stiffened panel. In particular, a global surrogate model is developed utilising the computational power of a high-performance computing facility. The inputs of the surrogate model are the omega-stringer geometry and the mechanical properties of the composite material, while the outputs are the fundamental linear buckling load (LBL) and the nonlinear post-buckling strength (NPS). LBL and NPS are obtained via detailed parametric finite element models of the mono-stringer stiffened panel; in the nonlinear model, the interface between the skin and the omega-stringer is modelled via cohesive elements to allow for debonding in the post-buckled regime. Extensive multi-objective optimisations are conducted on the surrogate model using deterministic and probabilistic approaches to examine the omega-stringer geometric parameters mostly affecting the system robustness and reliability. The differences between deterministic and probabilistic designs are highlighted as well.
Internal control through the lens of institutional work: a systematic literature review
Authors: Henk Oliver
Published: May 2020

Despite the growing interest in research on the topic of internal control, there is confusion about the concept in both theory and practice. This study addresses this lack of clarity by systematically structuring the literature that uses the concept by investigating what we know from previous studies about the practice of internal control and how it is institutionalized. To examine the existing literature in this field, the paper utilizes the theoretical lens of‘institutional work’. The review finds that the understanding of internal control is currently divided: one part of the literature understands the concept as internal control over financial reporting, while the other part has a more global and strategic understanding of the term. Internal control is institutionalized by different organizational actors at the micro level in an attempt to implement internal control systems that are not a simple act of compliance but present an added value for the organization. At the same time, it is noteworthy that not all categories of institutional work could be identified in the internal control literature, indicating that the actors are largely limited by their institutional embeddedness. The paper also presents an aggregated understanding of the terminternal control, which can therefore significantly supplement the efforts of practitioners and regulators to implement internal control procedures that add value for the corporate governance of organizations.
Radiation dose of chaperones during common pediatric computed tomography examinations
Authors: Overhoff Daniel , Weis Meike , Riffel Philipp , Sudarski Sonja , Froelich Matthias F. , Fries Peter , Schönberg Stefan , Gawlitza Joshua
Published: May 2020

Background

One main challenge in pediatric imaging is to reduce motion artifacts by calming young patients. To that end, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) as early as 1997 stated the necessity of adults accompanying their child during the child’s examination. Nonetheless, current research lacks data regarding radiation dose to these chaperones.

Objective

The aim of this study was to measure the radiation dose of accompanying adults during state-of-the-art pediatric CT protocols.

Materials and methods

In addition to a 100-kV non-contrast-enhanced chest CT (Protocol 1), we performed a 70-kV contrast-enhanced chest protocol (Protocol 2) using a third-generation dual-source CT. We acquired data on the radiation dose around the scanner using digital dosimetry placed right at the gantry, 1 m away, as well as beside the gantry. We acquired the CT-surrounding radiation dose during scanning of a pediatric phantom as well as 12 pediatric patients.

Results

After conducting 10 consecutive phantom scans using Protocol 1, we found the location with the highest cumulative dose acquired was right next to the gantry opening, at 3 μSv. Protocol 2 showed highest cumulative dose of 2 μSv at the same location. For Protocol 1, the location with the highest radiation doses during pediatric scans was right next to the gantry opening, with doses of 0.75±0.70 μSv. For Protocol 2, the highest radiation was measured 1 m away at 0.50±0.60 μSv. No radiation dose was measured at any time beside the gantry.

Conclusion

Our results provide proof that chaperones receive low radiation doses during state-of-the-art CT examinations. Given knowledge of these values as well as the optimal spots with the lowest radiation doses, parents as well as patients might be more relaxed during the examination.
On the interpretation of kinetics and thermodynamics probed by single-molecule experiments
Authors: Angioletti-Uberti Stefano
Published: May 2020

Single-molecule pulling experiments are widely used to extract both thermodynamic and kinetic data on ligand-receptor pairs, typically by fitting different models to the probability distribution of rupture forces of the corresponding bond. Here, a theoretical model is presented that shows how a measurement of the number of binding and unbinding events as a function of the observation time can also give access to both the binding (kon) and the unbinding (koff) rates of bonds, which combined provide a well-defined bond free-energy ΔGbond. The connection between ΔGbond and the ligand-receptor binding constant measured by typical binding essays is critically discussed. The role played by the molecular construct used to tether ligands and receptors to a surface is considered, highlighting the various approximations necessary to derive general expressions that connect its structure to its contribution, termed ΔGcnf, to the bond free-energy. In this way, the validity and the assumptions underpinning widely employed formulas and experimental protocols used to extract binding constants from single-molecule experiments are assessed. Finally, the role of ΔGcnf in processes mediated by ligand-receptor binding is briefly considered, and an experiment to unambiguously measure this quantity proposed.
Towards the clinical translation of optogenetic skeletal muscle stimulation
Authors: Gundelach Lili A. , Hüser Marc A. , Beutner Dirk , Ruther Patrick , Bruegmann Tobias
Published: May 2020

Paralysis is a frequent phenomenon in many diseases, and to date, only functional electrical stimulation (FES) mediated via the innervating nerve can be employed to restore skeletal muscle function in patients. Despite recent progress, FES has several technical limitations and significant side effects. Optogenetic stimulation has been proposed as an alternative, as it may circumvent some of the disadvantages of FES enabling cell type–specific, spatially and temporally precise stimulation of cells expressing light-gated ion channels, commonly Channelrhodopsin2. Two distinct approaches for the restoration of skeletal muscle function with optogenetics have been demonstrated: indirect optogenetic stimulation through the innervating nerve similar to FES and direct optogenetic stimulation of the skeletal muscle. Although both approaches show great promise, both have their limitations and there are several general hurdles that need to be overcome for their translation into clinics. These include successful gene transfer, sustained optogenetic protein expression, and the creation of optically active implantable devices. Herein, a comprehensive summary of the underlying mechanisms of electrical and optogenetic approaches is provided. With this knowledge in mind, we substantiate a detailed discussion of the advantages and limitations of each method. Furthermore, the obstacles in the way of clinical translation of optogenetic stimulation are discussed, and suggestions on how they could be overcome are provided. Finally, four specific examples of pathologies demanding novel therapeutic measures are discussed with a focus on the likelihood of direct versus indirect optogenetic stimulation.
Confocal microscopy provides visual evidence and confirms the feasibility of dsRNA delivery to emerald ash borer through plant tissues
Authors: Pampolini Flavia , Rodrigues Thais B. , Leelesh Ramya S. , Kawashima Tomokazu , Rieske Lynne K.
Published: May 2020

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated gene silencing, or RNA interference (RNAi), is an emerging biotechnology that has been a breakthrough tool for crop protection. Exogenous dsRNA triggers the RNAi pathway, silences genes, disrupts protein function, and can cause insect mortality. However, effective delivery of the dsRNA is problematic, particularly in systems with long-lived, endophagous insects such as the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, a tree-killing nonnative invader that attacks ash, Fraxinus spp. Larvae feed on cambial tissue causing rapid tree death. EAB is susceptible to RNAi, but we lack a practical means of delivery. Here we evaluated delivery of dsRNA to green, F. pennsylvanica, and tropical ash, F. uhdei, through root and/or petiole absorption, and also demonstrated dsRNA absorption through the EAB egg chorion. We labeled exogenous dsRNA using a fluorescing label and then used confocal microscopy and RT-qPCR to evaluate its distribution in plant and insect tissues. Labeled dsRNAs are detectable in root, stem, and leaf tissues 48-h postapplication. In excised ash branches, labeled dsRNA is detectable in the inner bark and in recovered EAB neonates 8-day postapplication. Eggs and larvae emerging from treated eggs also presented fluorescing dsRNA under confocal imaging. Adult EAB-fed tropical ash leaves treated with in vitro synthesized EAB-specific dsSHI through petiole absorption experience a significant knockdown of the shi gene and a significant mortality. Our findings provide a proof of concept that delivery of dsRNAs through topical or systemic application methods is a feasible means of suppressing EAB, providing hope for future tree protection.
Comparing response of buff-tailed bumblebees and red mason bees to application of a thiacloprid-prochloraz mixture under semi-field conditions
Authors: Alkassab Abdulrahim T. , Kunz Nadine , Bischoff Gabriela , Pistorius Jens
Published: May 2020

Recent studies have reported interspecific differences in how bee species respond to various stressors. Evaluating the exposure and responses of different bee species to plant protection products is considered an essential part of their risk assessment. This study was conducted to assess the impacts of thiacloprid-prochloraz mixture on buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) and red mason bees (Osmia bicornis) in a worst-case scenario under semi-field conditions. Bumblebee colonies or solitary bee trap nests were confined in tunnels with flowering oilseed rape. The recommended maximum application rates of 72 g thiacloprid/ha and 675 g prochloraz/ha were applied as a tank mixture during bee flight in full flowering oilseed rape. Several parameters such as flight and foraging activity, population parameters, and exposure level were investigated. Our results show adverse effects of the combination of thiacloprid and prochloraz on the reproductive performance of red mason bees. The number of cocoons produced by O. bicornis was significantly reduced in the treatment compared to the control group. Regarding bumblebees, we found no effects of the thiacloprid-prochloraz mixture on any observed parameters of colony development. The maximum detected concentrations of both active substances three days after application were higher in O. bicornis pollen mass compared to B. terrestris stored pollen. We conclude that this worst-case scenario of thiacloprid-prochloraz exposure poses a high risk to solitary bees and thus the use of such mixture should be restricted.
Effects of land use on streams: traditional and functional analyses of benthic diatoms
Authors: Stenger-Kovács Csilla , Lengyel Edina , Sebestyén Viktor , Szabó Beáta
Published: May 2020

Agriculture and urbanisation, the two forms of land use, represent serious threats to the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems, especially in the case of small streams at low altitudes. In this study, 75 Hungarian streams were analysed to explore the effects of these land use types on the composition of benthic diatom communities and their richness. In the Carpathian region, species and trait composition, as well as species richness, varied primarily according to the local environmental variables followed by the shared effects of the environmental factors and land use types. At the same time, functional richness was chiefly explained by the pure effects of land use. However, the difference in trait composition between areas dominated by forest (low profile guild, small cell size) and agriculture (motile ecological guilds with middle size, linear-lanceolate shape) was obvious. Higher proportion of water and artificial surfaces might support the spread of diatom species with specific traits: low profile guild with a slightly elongated outline. Nevertheless, no effect of urbanisation on the set of traits, species composition and richness was detected at either local or catchment scale, which might be due to the relatively small portion of artificial surfaces in the watersheds as a whole.
Bioaerosols at plants processing materials of plant origin—a review
Authors: Bulski Karol
Published: May 2020

Due to the dynamic development of industry, related to the processing of plant materials and a subsequent significant increase in the number of employees working in this kind of industry, the indoor air quality is of great importance for the human health. The premises of plants processing plant materials are a specific environment, related to exposure to biological agents. The major sources of microbial contamination of premises are employees’ activities and the operation of devices used in the production process, quality of plant materials, technological processes, construction materials, ventilation (air-conditioning) systems, and outdoor air. Biological agents (primarily bacteria and fungi) transported in the air can cause numerous adverse health outcomes in exposed workers.
A Preliminary Appraisal of Radon Concentration in Groundwater from the High Background Radiation Area (HBRA) of Coastal Kerala
Authors: Nandakumaran P. , Vinayachandran N.
Published: May 2020

Parts of the coastal tracts of southern Kerala, India are among the well-known High Background Radiation Areas (HBRA) of the world, attributed to the presence of radionuclides in the monaziterich beach sand deposits. A comparative study of the radon concentrations in groundwater in the high and normal background radiation areas in the coastal tract has been taken up using analytical data of 24 ground water samples collected from tube wells of ranging in depth from 6.0 to 300.0 m. The radon concentration in the samples ranged from 0.88 to 25.80 Bq.L-1. The mean radon concentration in the study area, including those from the HBRA are within the maximum contamination levels of 300 pCi.L-1 (11.10 Bq.L-1) recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency except for a sample collected from Chavara. Groundwater from the high background radiation areas has significantly higher concentrations of radon ranging from 2.84 - 25.80 Bq.L-1 when compared to the normal background areas where the concentrations range from 0.86 - 7.46 Bq.L-1. Radon concentration does not show significant correlation with depth of sampled wells. The mean annual effective doses of ingestion and inhalation from water-borne radon, though comparatively higher in HBRA, are well below the average doses reported from all natural sources.
Prioritization of Soil Erosion Vulnerable Areas of Upper Patiala-Ki-Rao Catchment Located on Shivalik Hills
Authors: Walia Sushma , Singh Sarbjit , Babbar Richa , Loshali Dikesh Chandra
Published: May 2020

In this research paper, morphometric analysis and prioritization were carried out for upper Patiala-Ki-Rao catchment lying on Shivalik hills of SAS Nagar district of Punjab and Panchkula district of Haryana state, India. Morphometric parameters were classified into three categories such as linear, areal and relief aspects. Remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) was used to quantify these morphometric parameters along with hypsometric and erosion integrals to understand watershed characteristics. Soil, slope, and land use thematic layers were prepared and with the help of GIS overlay technique, erosion vulnerable areas were identified based on priority by using analytical hierarchical process (AHP) proposed by Saaty (1980). These thematic layers were assigned weightage and ranks were assigned to the categories within it on the basis of relative susceptibility to soil erosion. Based on the present study, the selected watershed was finally classified into high, medium and low priority areas susceptible to erosion. The results of the present study are useful to decision-maker for planning relevant soil conservation techniques according to the severity of erosion.
Petrological and Geochronological Constraints on the Evolution of Charnockitic Rocks in the Massifs of Cauvery Shear Zone, Southern Granulite Terrain, India
Authors: Kar R. , Bhattacharya S. , Basei M. , Chaudhary A. K.
Published: May 2020

Cauvery shear zone of the southern granulite terrane, India, is sandwiched between the amphibolite to granulite transition zone in the north and the Neoproterozoic granulite belt in the south. Two massifs of this shear zone consist of charnockitic rocks of tonalitic to granodioritic composition and include hornblende-mafic granulite enclaves. Petrology and geochemistry clearly indicate dehydration partial melting of mafic rocks as the mode of origin of the charnockitic rocks. However, high MgO, Ni and Cr contents and negative Nb anomalies suggest some interaction with the mantle in a subduction zone environment. U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic data of zircons in mafic granulite enclave and charnockite-enderbite host rocks indicate ca. 2.5 Ga granulite-cum-anatectic event. Juvenile mafic magmatism at ca. 2.7 Ga could represent the precursor of the mafic granulites. With the chemical and isotopic evidence of subduction zone environment, the Cauvery shear zone could be appropriately described as a suture along which Archaean-Paleoproterozoic granulite terrain and Neoproterozoic granulite terrain had collided.
Electrochemical Synthesis of Tailor-Made Hydrocarbons from Organic Solvent Free Aqueous Fatty Acid Mixtures in a Micro Flow Reactor
Authors: Ziogas Athanassios , Pennemann Helmut , Kolb Gunther
Published: May 2020

The process described in the current paper is an alternative route that allows running the Kolbe electrolysis under economically attractive conditions and thus bringing it closer to an industrial application through novel process conditions, novel reactor technology, and the utilization of low-cost excess renewable electricity. The process allows the conversion of fatty acids into hydrocarbons in aqueous electrolytes without applying organic solvents. Important process parameters such as electrode material costs, surface area, and energy requirements of an electrochemical reactor in MW scale have been calculated. Depending on the fatty acid mixtures chosen, tailor-made product equivalents of jet oil, lamp oil, and diesel fuels can be achieved at high Faraday efficiency and high conversion, yields, and selectivities.
Overcoming Barriers to Cross-cultural Cooperation in AI Ethics and Governance
Authors: ÓhÉigeartaigh Seán S. , Whittlestone Jess , Liu Yang , Zeng Yi , Liu Zhe
Published: May 2020

Achieving the global benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) will require international cooperation on many areas of governance and ethical standards, while allowing for diverse cultural perspectives and priorities. There are many barriers to achieving this at present, including mistrust between cultures, and more practical challenges of coordinating across different locations. This paper focuses particularly on barriers to cooperation between Europe and North America on the one hand and East Asia on the other, as regions which currently have an outsized impact on the development of AI ethics and governance. We suggest that there is reason to be optimistic about achieving greater cross-cultural cooperation on AI ethics and governance. We argue that misunderstandings between cultures and regions play a more important role in undermining cross-cultural trust, relative to fundamental disagreements, than is often supposed. Even where fundamental differences exist, these may not necessarily prevent productive cross-cultural cooperation, for two reasons: (1) cooperation does not require achieving agreement on principles and standards for all areas of AI; and (2) it is sometimes possible to reach agreement on practical issues despite disagreement on more abstract values or principles. We believe that academia has a key role to play in promoting cross-cultural cooperation on AI ethics and governance, by building greater mutual understanding, and clarifying where different forms of agreement will be both necessary and possible. We make a number of recommendations for practical steps and initiatives, including translation and multilingual publication of key documents, researcher exchange programmes, and development of research agendas on cross-cultural topics.
Trustworthy isolation of DMA devices
Authors: Haglund Jonas , Guanciale Roberto
Published: May 2020

We present a mechanism to trustworthy isolate I/O devices with direct memory access (DMA), which ensures that an isolated I/O device cannot access sensitive memory regions. As a demonstrating platform, we use the network interface controller (NIC) of an embedded system. We develop a run-time monitor that forces NIC reconfigurations, defined by untrusted software, to satisfy a security rule. We formalized the NIC in the HOL4 interactive theorem prover and we verified the design of the isolation mechanism. The verification is based on an invariant that is proved to be preserved by all NIC operations and that ensures that all memory accesses address allowed memory regions only. We demonstrate our approach by extending an existing Virtual Machine Introspection (VMI) with the monitor. The resulting platform prevents code injection in a connected and untrusted Linux.
Fatal Autoimmune Storm After a Single Cycle of Anti-PD-1 Therapy
Authors: Fuentes-Antrás Jesús , Peinado Paloma , Guevara-Hoyer Kissy , del Arco Cristina Díaz , Sánchez-Ramón Silvia , Aguado Carlos
Published: May 2020

As immunotherapy agents are incorporated into the routine oncological practice, the number of patients at the risk of immune-related adverse events has increased dramatically. However, the prompt identification and effective management of severe autoimmune complications remain a challenge. We report the case of a patient with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma who experienced a fatal autoimmune storm 3 weeks after the first dose of anti-programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) agent pembrolizumab, which included thyroiditis, hepatitis, myositis, myocarditis, pneumonitis, and myasthenia gravis. Aggressive autoimmunity was supported by extensive T-cell and macrophage tissue infiltrates and autoantibody positivity. Remarkably, no residual tumor was found at autopsy. This case illustrates the potential harm caused by immunotherapy and our limited knowledge on its prevention, treatment, and association to antitumor efficacy.
Rotational thromboelastometry parameters as predicting factors for bleeding in immune thrombocytopenic purpura
Authors: Nguyen Tuan H. , Tran Tung T. , Hoang Thuy-Ha T. , Nguyen Thanh-Thang T.
Published: May 2020

Objective/Background:

Patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) often present with a severe reduction in platelet counts and suffer from an increased risk of bleeding. However, platelet counts do not accurately predict bleeding risk in these patients.

Methods:

We thereby conducted a case series prospective study to compare the ability to predict hemorrhage in ITP patients between platelet counts and various rotational thromboelas- tometry (ROTEM) parameters.

Results:

The inclusion criteria for patients diagnosed with acute, persistent, and chronic ITP were platelet counts of <30 × 109/L and no clinically significant bleeding (grade ≥ 2 according to the WHO Bleeding Scale) at the beginning of the study. After 24 hours of follow-up, of the 45 enrolled patients, 14 (31.1%) experienced clinically significant bleeding. The mean platelet counts of patients with and without clinically significant bleeding were not statistically different (p = .09). However, the mean EXTEM maximum clot firmness (MCF), EXTEM A10, EXTEM area under the curve (AUC), and platelet maximum clot elasticity (MCE) values of the two groups were statistically different (p < .05). There was also a significant difference in IPF values between these two groups (p < .05).

Conclusion:

Results obtained from this preliminary study demonstrate that ROTEM parameters might be useful in predicting factors for hemorrhage in ITP patients. Future studies with a larger sample size is warranted to confirm our findings, which will allow prompt and effective bleeding management in ITP patients.
Placebo statements in list experiments: Evidence from a face-to-face survey in Singapore
Authors: Riambau Guillem , Ostwald Kai
Published: May 2020

List experiments are a widely used survey technique for estimating the prevalence of socially sensitive attitudes or behaviors. Their design, however, makes them vulnerable to bias: because treatment group respondents see a greater number of items (J + 1) than control group respondents (J), the treatment group mean may be mechanically inflated due simply to the greater number of items. The few previous studies that directly examine this do not arrive at definitive conclusions. We find clear evidence of inflation in an original dataset, though only among respondents with low educational attainment. Furthermore, we use available data from previous studies and find similar heterogeneous patterns. The evidence of heterogeneous effects has implications for the interpretation of previous research using list experiments, especially in developing world contexts. We recommend a simple solution: using a necessarily false placebo statement for the control group equalizes list lengths, thereby protecting against mechanical inflation without imposing costs or altering interpretations.
Canadians Think that Nearly All of Us Will Be Allowed Back to Work around August
Authors: Briggs Ryan C.
Published: May 2020

Business closures and work-from-home orders have been a central part of Canada's plan to slow the spread of COVID-19. The success of these measures hinges on public support, which cannot be taken for granted as the orders induce considerable economic pain. As governments consider when to re-open the economy, one relevant variable is when the public expects the economy to re-open. At minimum, if public perceptions differ from government plans then additional government messaging is required to better align expectations.