bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Model uncertainties in climate change impacts on Sahel precipitation in ensembles of CMIP5 and CMIP6 simulations
Authors: Monerie Paul-Arthur , Wainwright Caroline M. , Sidibe Moussa , Akinsanola Akintomide Afolayan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe impact of climate change on Sahel precipitation suffers from large uncertainties and is strongly model-dependent. In this study, we analyse sources of inter-model spread in Sahel precipitation change by decomposing precipitation into its dynamic and thermodynamic terms, using a large set of climate model simulations. Results highlight that model uncertainty is mostly related to the response of the atmospheric circulation to climate change (dynamic changes), while thermodynamic changes are less uncertain among climate models. Uncertainties arise mainly because the models simulate different shifts in atmospheric circulation over West Africa in a warmer climate. We linked the changes in atmospheric circulation to the changes in Sea Surface Temperature, emphasising that the Northern hemispheric temperature gradient is primary to explain uncertainties in Sahel precipitation change. Sources of Sahel precipitation uncertainties are shown to be the same in the new generation of climate models (CMIP6) as in the previous generation of models (CMIP5).
Breast milk n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and blood pressure: an individual participant meta-analysis
Authors: van Rossem Lenie , Smit Henriette A. , Armand Martine , Bernard Jonathan Y. , Bisgaard Hans , Bønnelykke Klaus , Bruun Signe , Heude Barbara , Husby Steffen , Kyhl Henriette B. , Michaelsen Kim F. , Stark Ken D. , Thijs Carel , Vinding Rebecca K. , Wijga Alet H. , Lauritzen Lotte 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Purpose
It is controversial whether a higher intake of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC PUFA) through breastfeeding is associated or not to a lower blood pressure (BP) during childhood. We aimed to clarify this point by undertaking a meta-analysis involving the data from seven European birth cohorts.

Methods
We searched https://www.birthcohort.net for studies that had collected breast milk samples, and had at least one BP measurement in childhood. Principal investigators were contacted, and all agreed to share data. One additional study was identified by contacts with the principal investigators. For each cohort, we analyzed the association of breast milk n-3 LC PUFAs with systolic and diastolic BP with linear mixed effects models or linear regression, and pooled the estimates with a random effects model. We also investigated age-specific and sex-specific associations.

Results
A total of 2188 participants from 7 cohorts were included. Overall, no associations between breast milk n-3 LC PUFAs and BP were observed. In the pooled analysis, each 0.1 wt% increment in breast milk docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was associated with a 1.19 (95% CI − 3.31, 0.94) mmHg lower systolic BP. Associations were similar for boys and girls and at different ages.

Conclusion
In this individual participant meta-analysis, we found no evidence for an association between breast milk n-3 LC PUFAs and BP.
Advances in Atom Probe Specimen Fabrication from Planar Multilayer Thin Film Structures
Authors: Larson D.J. , Wissman B.D. , Martens R.L. , Viellieux R.J. , Kelly T.F. , Gribb T.T. , Erskine H.F. , Tabat N. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractA sample preparation method has been developed whereby sharp needle-shaped specimens for atom probe analysis are fabricated from multilayer thin films deposited onto silicon substrates. The specimens are fabricated in an orientation such that atom probe composition profiles across the layer interfaces can be determined with atomic-layer spatial resolution, i.e., the layer normals are parallel to the needle axis. The method uses standard silicon etching techniques and focused ion-beam milling. The feasibility and utility of this technique are shown through its application to a NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe-based thin film structure.
On the one-to-one pickup-and-delivery problem with time windows and trailers
Authors: Drexl Michael 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThis paper studies an extension of the well-known one-to-one pickup-and-delivery problem with time windows. In the latter problem, requests to transport goods from pickup to delivery locations must be fulfilled by a set of vehicles with limited capacity subject to time window constraints. Goods are not interchangeable: what is picked up at one particular location must be delivered to one particular other location. The discussed extension consists in the consideration of a heterogeneous vehicle fleet comprising lorries with detachable trailers. Trailers are advantageous as they increase the overall vehicle capacity. However, some locations may be accessible only by lorries. Therefore, special locations are available where trailers can be parked while lorries visit accessibility-constrained locations. This induces a nontrivial tradeoff between an enlarged vehicle capacity and the necessity of scheduling detours for parking and reattaching trailers. The contribution of the paper is threefold: (i) it studies a practically relevant generalization of the one-to-one pickup-and-delivery problem with time windows. (ii) It develops an exact amortized constant-time procedure for testing the feasibility of an insertion of a transport task into a given route with regard to time windows and lorry and trailer capacities. (iii) It provides a comprehensive set of new benchmark instances on which the runtime of the constant-time test is compared with a naïve one that requires linear time by embedding both tests in an adaptive large neighbourhood search algorithm. Computational experiments show that the constant-time test outperforms its linear-time counterpart by one order of magnitude on average.
Does prehabilitation modify muscle mass in patients with rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy? A subanalysis from the REx randomised controlled trial
Authors: Moug S. J. , Barry S. J. E. , Maguire S. , Johns N. , Dolan D. , Steele R. J. C. , Buchan C. , Mackay G. , Anderson A. S. , Mutrie N. 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background
Patients with rectal cancer who present with sarcopenia (low muscle mass) are at significantly greater risk of postoperative complications and reduction in disease-free survival. We performed a subanalysis of a randomised controlled study [the REx trial; www.isrctn.com; 62859294] to assess the potential of prehabilitation to modify muscle mass in patients having neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT).

Methods
Patients scheduled for NACRT, then potentially curative surgery (August 2014–March 2016) had baseline physical assessment and psoas muscle mass measurement (total psoas index using computed tomography-based measurements). Participants were randomised to either the intervention (13–17-week telephone-guided graduated walking programme) or control group (standard care). Follow-up testing was performed 1–2 weeks before surgery.

Results
The 44 patients had a mean age of 66.8 years (SD 9.6) and were male (64%); white (98%); American Society of Anesthesiologists class 2 (66%); co-morbid (58%); overweight (72%) (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2). At baseline, 14% were sarcopenic. At follow-up, 13 (65%) of patients in the prehabilitation group had increased muscle mass versus 7 (35%) that experienced a decrease. Conversely, 16 (67%) controls experienced a decrease in muscle mass and 8 (33%) showed an increase. An adjusted linear regression model estimated a mean treatment difference in Total Psoas Index of 40.2mm2/m2 (95% CI − 3.4 to 83.7) between groups in change from baseline (p = 0.07).

Conclusions
Prehabilitation improved muscle mass in patients with rectal cancer who had NACRT. These results need to be explored in a larger trial to determine if the poorer short- and long-term patient outcomes associated with low muscle mass can be minimised by prehabilitation.
Comparative Disease Assessment: a multi-causal approach for estimating the burden of mortality
Authors: Seuc Armando Humberto , Fernandez-Gonzalez Lisbeth , Mirabal Mayelin 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background
The Comparative Risk Assessment (CRA) framework comprehensively evaluates the impact of exposure to risk factors on health populations using the counterfactual causal approach.

Methods
We propose a framework, Comparative Disease Assessment (CDA), for assessing the impact of exposure to morbidity from some diseases on health outcomes, particularly death from other (relevant) diseases. This framework has been developed following the ideas of the CRA framework and using the widely accepted concept that exposure to morbidity is usually a risk factor for health outcomes (morbidity/mortality) related to other diseases. Our framework uses a counterfactual and not a categorical approach when attributing the burden of health outcomes to potential causes.

Results
This paper describes the different steps and assumptions required to implement the CDA framework, and an illustrative example is used considering diabetes mellitus morbidity as a risk factor for death from heart diseases.

Conclusions
One advantage of the CDA framework is that it can be applied using multi-causal death registries. Some assumptions are needed to implement it in order to avoid biases, but at least it can provide preliminary estimations of the impact of exposure to diseases as risk factors for deaths from other diseases. Another main advantage is that the burden of deaths is no longer attributed to a single cause, the underlying cause, as it is almost always done. Finally, this framework provides information on the pattern of comorbidity in a (sub)population of subjects who is about to die. These patterns can be used as a reference for alternative patterns of the general population or patterns of other specific subpopulations.
Impact of Reaction Chamber Geometry on the Particle-Residence-Time in Flame Spray Process
Authors: Buss Lizoel , Noriler Dirceu , Fritsching Udo 
Published: June 2020

AbstractProduction of functional nanoparticles and nanoscaled powders is a key process in several recent industrial applications. In this work, the flame process in nanoparticle production in sprays is analyzed. Specific focus is on the flow behavior, the temperature distribution, and the residence-time of particles in the hot (reactive) regions in a flame spray reactor that are analyzed by numerical simulations using computational fluid dynamics techniques. The role of the co-flowing gas rate provided to the flame spray reactor and its effects on the spray behavior, flame morphology, and particle properties in an enclosed atmosphere is highlighted. The influence of different operational conditions on the reactor temperature and temperature-residence-time distribution of gas and particles is investigated. It is found that providing a reduced co-flowing gas rate to the flame spray reactor favors the recirculation of hot gas, and, consequently increases the residence-time of particles in the high-temperature regions. The numerical results of particle diameter and gas-phase temperature are compared to some existing experimental data.
The long-term fate of deposited nitrogen in temperate forest soils
Authors: Veerman Liz , Kalbitz Karsten , Gundersen Per , Kjønaas Janne , Moldan Filip , Schleppi Patrick , van Loon Emiel E. , Schoorl Jorien , Wessel Wim , Tietema Albert 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIncreased anthropogenic nitrogen (N) inputs can alter the N cycle and affect forest ecosystem functions. The impact of increased N deposition depends among others on the ultimate fate of N in plant and soil N pools. Short-term studies (3–18 months) have shown that the organic soil layer was the dominant sink for N. However, longer time scales are needed to investigate the long-term fate of N. Therefore, the soils of four experimental forest sites across Europe were re-sampled ~ 2 decades after labelling with 15N. The sites covered a wide range of ambient N deposition varying from 13 to 58 kg N ha−1 year−1. To investigate the effects of different N loads on 15N recovery, ambient N levels were experimentally increased or decreased. We hypothesized that: (1) the mineral soil would become the dominant 15N sink after 2 decades, (2) long-term increased N deposition would lead to lower 15N recovery levels in the soil and (3) variables related to C dynamics would have the largest impact on 15N recovery in the soil. The results show that large amounts of the added 15N remain in the soil after 2 decades and at 2 out of 4 sites the 15N recovery levels are higher in the mineral soil than in the organic soil. The results show no clear responses of the isotopic signature to the changes in N deposition. Several environmental drivers are identified as controlling factors for long-term 15N recovery. Most drivers that significantly contribute to 15N recovery are strongly related to the soil organic matter (SOM) content. These findings are consistent with the idea that much of the added 15N is immobilized in the SOM. In the organic soil layer, we identify C stock, thickness of the organic layer, N-status and mean annual temperature of the forest sites as most important controlling factors. In the mineral soil we identify C stock, C content, pH, moisture content, bulk density, temperature, precipitation and forest stand age as most important controlling factors. Overall, our results show that these temperate forests are capable of retaining long-term increased N inputs preferably when SOM availability is high and SOM turnover and N availability are low.
A note on optimal $$H^1$$-error estimates for Crank-Nicolson approximations to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation
Authors: Henning Patrick , Wärnegård Johan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn this paper we consider a mass- and energy–conserving Crank-Nicolson time discretization for a general class of nonlinear Schrödinger equations. This scheme, which enjoys popularity in the physics community due to its conservation properties, was already subject to several analytical and numerical studies. However, a proof of optimal $$L^{\infty }(H^1)$$

L
∞

(

H
1

)

-error estimates is still open, both in the semi-discrete Hilbert space setting, as well as in fully-discrete finite element settings. This paper aims at closing this gap in the literature. We also suggest a fixed point iteration to solve the arising nonlinear system of equations that makes the method easy to implement and efficient. This is illustrated by numerical experiments.
Increased myocardial mass and attenuation of myocardial strain in professional male soccer players and competitive male triathletes
Authors: Starekova Jitka , Thottakara Tilo , Lund Gunnar K. , Welsch Götz H. , Brunner Fabian J. , Muellerleile Kai , Adam Gerhard , Regier Marc , Tahir Enver 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe purpose of this prospective study was to analyze the relationship between ventricular morphology and parameters of cardiac function in two different athletic groups and controls, using feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance (FT-CMR). Twenty-three professional soccer players (22 ± 4 years), 19 competitive triathletes (28 ± 6 years) and 16 controls (26 ± 3 years) were included in the study. CMR was performed using a 1.5 T scanner. Cardiac chamber volumes, mass and biventricular global myocardial strain were obtained and compared. In comparison to the control subjects, athletes were characterized by a higher cardiac volume (p < 0.0001), higher cardiac mass (p < 0.001), reduced longitudinal strain of the left and right ventricle (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively) and reduced left ventricular radial strain (p < 0.05). Soccer players revealed higher amounts of left ventricular mass (87 ± 15 vs. 75 ± 13 g/m2, p < 0.05) than triathletes. Moreover, they showed a greater decrease in left and right ventricular longitudinal strain (p < 0.05 and p < 0.05) as well as in radial left ventricular strain (p < 0.05) in comparison to triathletes. An increase in left ventricular mass correlated significantly with a decrease in longitudinal (r = 0.47, p < 0.001) and radial (r =  − 0.28, p < 0.05) strain. In athletes, attenuation of strain values is associated with cardiac hypertrophy and differ between soccer players and triathletes. Further studies are needed to investigate whether it is an adaptive or maladaptive change of the heart induced by intense athletic training.
Emission Regulation of Markets with Sluggish Supply Structures
Authors: Storrøsten Halvor B. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractI examine regulation in the presence of convex investment costs and technology specific capacity stocks. Announcement of future emission taxes reduces current emissions unless fossil fuels are scarce, in which case the effect is ambiguous. Substantial future emission reductions require action today, because it takes time to build up clean production capacity and phase out dirty capacity. The Pigou tax must be coupled with sector specific investment taxes or subsidies to induce the socially optimal trajectory if the private discount rate differs from the social discount rate. If such investment taxes or subsidies are unavailable, a (time-inconsistent) second-best alternative may be to tax emissions above the Pigouvian level during the transition phase. The theory is complemented with a stylized numerical model of the US electricity market.
Free Will, Control, and the Possibility to do Otherwise from a Causal Modeler’s Perspective
Authors: Gebharter Alexander , Sekatskaya Maria , Schurz Gerhard 
Published: June 2020

AbstractStrong notions of free will are closely connected to the possibility to do otherwise as well as to an agent’s ability to causally influence her environment via her decisions controlling her actions. In this paper we employ techniques from the causal modeling literature to investigate whether a notion of free will subscribing to one or both of these requirements is compatible with naturalistic views of the world such as non-reductive physicalism to the background of determinism and indeterminism. We argue that from a causal modeler’s perspective the only possibility to get both requirements consists in subscribing to reductive physicalism and indeterminism.
The effect of short-term vs. long-term soil moisture stress on the physiological response of three cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivars
Authors: Niether Wiebke , Glawe Alexandra , Pfohl Katharina , Adamtey Noah , Schneider Monika , Karlovsky Petr , Pawelzik Elke 
Published: June 2020

AbstractUnderstanding water stress signaling mechanisms and screening for tolerant cocoa cultivars are major challenges when facing prolonged dry and rainy seasons in cocoa-producing areas. While abscisic acid (ABA) and proline are supposed to enhance drought tolerance in cocoa, the role of polyamines remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the biochemical response and phenological adaptation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) on different soil moisture conditions, with a focus on short-term (20 days) and long-term (89 days) stress conditions, and to compare the performance of three cocoa cultivars. In a split plot design with four blocks, cocoa seedlings of an international high-yielding cultivar (TSH-565) and two locally selected cultivars (IIa-22 and III-06) from the drought-exposed Alto Beni region, Bolivia, were arranged in pots under a roof shelter (cultivar: three levels). The seedlings were exposed to strong (VERY DRY) and moderate (DRY) soil moisture deficits, water logging (WET) and regular irrigation (MOIST) that served as a control (moisture: four levels). We examined the growth performance and the levels of ABA, proline, and polyamines in the leaves. Growth was reduced already at a moderate drought, while severe drought enhanced seedling mortality. Severe drought increased the levels of ABA by 453% and of proline by 935%, inducing a short-term stress response; both compounds were degraded over the long-term period. The polyamine concentration was unrelated to soil moisture. The cocoa cultivars did not differ in their biochemical response to soil moisture stress (proline: p-value = 0.5, ABA: p-value = 0.3), but the local cultivar III-06 showed a stronger height growth increment than the international cultivar TSH-565 (237%, p-value = 0.002) under drought conditions.
Gender Differences in Mathematics Self-concept Across the World: an Exploration of Student and Parent Data of TIMSS 2015
Authors: Mejía-Rodríguez Ana María , Luyten Hans , Meelissen Martina R. M. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractUsing data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 assessment of fourth-grade students in 32 countries, a series of mean comparisons and regression analyses were conducted to determine (1) the gender gap in students’ self-concept in mathematics; (2) to what extent student achievement, student gender, and parental characteristics (early numeracy activities, attitudes, expectations, and education) are related to students’ self-concept; and (3) to what extent the effect of achievement and parental characteristics on mathematics self-concept differs between male and female students. Results from this study indicate that gender differences in students’ self-concept in mathematics are significant in most countries, usually in favour of boys as early as in fourth grade. The differences largely remain the same when the data analysis controls for effects of student achievement and parental involvement.
Identification of international opportunities: A study of mature firms in mature industries
Authors: Galan Nataliya , Torsein Ellinor 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThis study seeks to gain a better understanding of how small late internationalising (mature) firms operating in mature industry contexts, which seem largely ignored in international entrepreneurship research, identify primary and subsequent international opportunities. Integrating international opportunity and network literature, as well as adopting a multiple case study design, we build on the evidence obtained from two Swedish and two Norwegian late internationalising firms operating in medium-technology industries. Our findings highlight the vital importance of business ties for identification of both primary and subsequent international opportunities by mature firms operating in mature industries. We find that such firms may identify their primary international opportunities by both discovery and creation. Furthermore, the firms’ reputation in the domestic market, accumulated technological knowledge and needs for product customisation and/or customer involvement in product development, may indicate whether the firms tend to discover primary international opportunities or create them either by strengthening existing business ties or by forming new ones. With regard to subsequent international opportunities, creation is found to be a more likely way to identify opportunities. We show that ‘false’ (identified but not pursued) international opportunities, apart from generating a beneficial learning experience for both entrepreneurs and firms, prompt the entrepreneurs to (i) realise the urgency of needed strategic changes and (ii) identify future learning content, i.e. knowledge which should be acquired by the firm for successful pursuit of subsequent international opportunities.