bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Output sign‐consensus of heterogeneous multiagent systems over fixed and switching signed graphs
Authors: Jiang Huidi , Zhang Hongwei 
Published: December 2019

SummaryThis paper investigates output sign‐consensus of multiagent systems over directed signed graphs. In signed graphs, the sign of each edge stands for either hostile interaction (associated with positive sign) or antagonistic interactions (associated with negative sign) among agents. Agent dynamics are heterogeneous, allowing coexistence of distinct agent dynamics in one group. Heterogeneity in this paper also implies that the states of different agents may have different dimensions, but their outputs should have the same dimension. Distributed control laws are designed for both fixed and switching graph topologies. For fixed topology, the graph is assumed to be eventually positive. For switching topology, the graph needs to be jointly eventually positive, which extends the well‐known concept of joint connectivity by taking dwell time into consideration.
In‐stream construction‐induced suspended sediment in riverine ecosystems
Authors: Courtice Gregory , Naser Gholamreza 
Published: December 2019

AbstractConstruction activities within the wetted‐perimeter of rivers, referred to as in‐stream construction, are prevalent economically and environmentally motivated activities having direct interactions with sensitive lotic environments. Currently, there is a paucity of research related to in‐stream construction activities and their effects on aquatic ecosystems. In‐stream construction‐induced suspended sediment may result in harmful effects to aquatic flora and fauna. Regulatory frameworks worldwide focus primarily on concentration, with limited consideration for duration and no consideration for spatial extents of suspended sediment exposures. This research develops theoretical concentration, duration, and spatial extent exposure risk relationships for riverine ecosystems to demonstrate the influence of each mechanism during typical in‐stream construction activities. To reduce exposure risk, concentration and duration may be considered pragmatically, based on anticipated activity characteristics and site conditions. Spatial exposure characteristics are important to consider, as illustrated by our finding that activities located near the channel centerline may result in greater exposure risk than similar activities conducted near the streambank. Current regulatory frameworks worldwide do not sufficiently consider all exposure risk mechanisms present during in‐stream construction‐induced suspended sediment releases, possibly inhibiting efforts to reduce adverse environmental effects. This research improves our understanding of suspended sediment in lotic environments and may help environmental managers better evaluate and manage in‐stream construction activities.
Process‐based modelling of tributary mouth sandbar evolution in a high sediment‐load reservoir
Authors: Dou Shentang , Yu Xin , Zhang Junhua , Xie Weiming , Wang Wanzhan , Du Xiaokang 
Published: December 2019

AbstractSedimentation always leads to loss of reservoir storage. This is an important issue for reservoir management, particularly for reservoirs on the Yellow River. As a result of sedimentation, sandbars are frequently found at the mouth of tributaries in reservoirs. The evolution of a tributary mouth sandbar, including its formation and scouring, plays a key role in reservoir sedimentation. However, there are few effective numerical models reported in previous studies for tributary mouth sandbar evolution in reservoirs. In this study, we propose two modules for evolution processes of mouth sandbars: one for intrusion and sedimentation and the other for scouring process. Both modules coupled turbidity current, open‐channel flow, and flow exchanges between the main stream and tributaries. Field measurements and laboratory experiments with different set‐ups were used to test the capabilities of the two proposed modules. By coupling formation and scouring modules with a 2D morphodynamic model in reservoirs, we successfully built a novel numerical model to simulate the evolution processes of tributary mouth sandbars in reservoirs. A field‐scale application of the coupled model was undertaken to simulate evolution of tributary mouth sandbars in the Xiaolangdi Reservoir, Yellow River. The results indicate that the numerical model in this study is more practical than previous models and could provide great support for optimizing reservoir operation in other systems.
Tissue engineering strategies for human hair follicle regeneration: How far from a hairy goal?
Authors: Castro Ana Rita , Logarinho Elsa 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
The demand for an efficient therapy for alopecia disease has fueled the hair research field in recent decades. However, despite significant improvements in the knowledge of key processes of hair follicle biology such as genesis and cycling, translation into hair follicle replacement therapies has not occurred. Great expectation has been recently put on hair follicle bioengineering, which is based on the development of fully functional hair follicles with cycling activity from an expanded population of hair-inductive (trichogenic) cells. Most bioengineering approaches focus on in vitro reconstruction of folliculogenesis by manipulating key regulatory molecular/physical features of hair follicle growth/cycling in vivo. Despite their great potential, no cell-based product is clinically available for hair regeneration therapy to date. This is mainly due to demanding issues that still hinder the functionality of cultured human hair cells. The present review comprehensively compares emergent strategies using different cell sources and tissue engineering approaches, aiming to successfully achieve a clinical cure for hair loss. The hurdles of these strategies are discussed, as well as the future directions to overcome the obstacles and fulfill the promise of a “hairy” feat.

Significance statement Hair loss (alopecia) affects a growing number of people worldwide. Limited efficacy and side effects of current pharmacological and surgical treatments have fostered the search for alternative therapeutic solutions. Great expectation has been recently put on hair follicle bioengineering, which is based on the development of functional hair follicles from an expanded population of hair-inductive cells. However, human follicle neogenesis resorting to patient's cells was not successfully achieved yet. Based on recent advances in the field, this review on cell-based hair follicle tissue engineering systematically compiles the emerging strategies while disclosing the hurdles that still limit translation into the clinics.
Managing subjective well‐being of organic food consumers through sustainability orientation, environmental consciousness, and skepticism in Thailand: Mediating role of organic food consumption
Authors: Siriattakul Parinya , Thaiprayoon Khajornsak , Harakan Ahmad 
Published: December 2019

AbstractSubjective well‐being of consumers is turned out to be a modern and the most important issue for green marketers. World's food policy which is mostly revolving around consumption of organic food is also making well‐being a center piece of all its discussions. This study has contributed by checking the impact of consumer sustainability orientation (CSO), skepticism and environmentally conscious purchase behavior (ECPB) on subjective well‐being of consumers in mediating role of organic food consumption. A quantitative methodology was adopted in which questionnaires were filled by 314 respondents of Thailand. Survey results have revealed that CSO, skepticism and ECPB have a significant impact on subjective well‐being of consumer and organic food consumption is also significantly mediating these relationships. No previous study has checked the mediating role of organic food consumption in Thailand's and respective variables’ setting. This study can be beneficial for organic food industry as it can generate potential benefits for consumers.
Healthcare 4.0: A review of frontiers in digital health
Authors: Jayaraman Prem Prakash , Forkan Abdur Rahim Mohammad , Morshed Ahsan , Haghighi Pari Delir , Kang Yong‐Bin 
Published: December 2019

AbstractHealthcare 4.0 is a term that has emerged recently and derived from Industry 4.0. Today, the health care sector is more digital than in past decades; for example, spreading from x‐rays and magnetic resonance imaging to computed tomography and ultrasound scans to electric medical records. With the wide spectrum of digital technologies underpinning Healthcare 4.0 to deliver more effective and efficient health care services, in this article, we use the wisdom pyramid methodology to conduct a systematic review of current digital frontiers in Healthcare 4.0.This article is categorized under:

Technologies > Computer Architectures for Data Mining
Application Areas > Health Care
Application Areas > Data Mining Software Tools
Fundamental Concepts of Data and Knowledge > Knowledge Representation
Divergence-conforming discontinuous Galerkin finite elements for Stokes eigenvalue problems
Authors: Gedicke Joscha , Khan Arbaz 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIn this paper, we present a divergence-conforming discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for Stokes eigenvalue problems. We prove a priori error estimates for the eigenvalue and eigenfunction errors and present a residual based a posteriori error estimator. The a posteriori error estimator is proven to be reliable and (locally) efficient. We finally present some numerical examples that verify the a priori convergence rates and the reliability and efficiency of the residual based a posteriori error estimator.
The effect of microsurgical training on novice medical students’ basic surgical skills—a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Almeland Stian Kreken , Lindford Andrew , Sundhagen Henriette Pisani , Hufthammer Karl Ove , Strandenes Eivind , Svendsen Henrik Løvendahl , Guttormsen Anne Berit , Hansson Emma 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundIt has been demonstrated that medical students are capable of learning microsurgical techniques. We hypothesize that microsurgical training might give insight into the importance of delicate tissue handling and correct knot tying that could have a positive influence on macrosurgical skills. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of microsurgical training on macrosurgical suturing skills in novice medical students.Subjects and methodsIn 2018, 46 novice medical students were enrolled and randomized into two groups. The intervention group received both macro- and microsurgical training and the control group received only microsurgical training. Both groups underwent an assessment test that consisted of macrosurgical tasks of three simple interrupted sutures with a square knot and continuous three-stitch long over-and-over sutures. These tests were individually filmed and assessed using the University of Bergen suturing skills assessment tool (UBAT) and the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill global rating scale (OSATS). Questionnaires regarding future career ambitions and attitudes towards plastic surgery were also completed both prior to and following the tests.ResultsThe intervention group needed a longer time to complete the tasks than the control group (12.2 min vs. 9.6 min,p > 0.001), and scored lower on both the UBAT (5.6 vs. 9.0,p > 0.001) and the OSATS (11.1 vs. 13.1,p > 0.001) assessments. The microsurgery course tended to positively influence the students’ attitudes towards a career in plastic surgery (p = 0.002). This study demonstrates poorer macrosurgical skills in the medical students group exposed to microsurgical training. The true effect of microsurgical training warrants further investigation.Level of evidence: Level I, diagnostic study.
Prospective study on the effect of short-term androgen deprivation therapy on PSMA uptake evaluated with 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI in men with treatment-naïve prostate cancer
Authors: Ettala Otto , Malaspina Simona , Tuokkola Terhi , Luoto Pauliina , Löyttyniemi Eliisa , Boström Peter J. , Kemppainen Jukka 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Purpose
Based on in vitro studies, it is known that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) increases prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expression. Therefore, we hypothesised that ADT improves the performance of PSMA-PET imaging in primary staging of prostate cancer. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the time course effect of ADT on PSMA uptake in different types of metastatic lesions evaluated with 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI.

Methods
Nine men with treatment-naïve prostate cancer were enrolled to a prospective, registered (NCT03313726) clinical trial. A 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI was performed once before and 3 times post-ADT (degarelix, Firmagon). Change of maximum standardised uptake values (SUVmax) in prostate, lymph nodes, bone metastases, and physiologically PSMA-avid organs were evaluated in a time frame of 1–8 weeks.

Results
All patients reached castration levels within 10 days, and 50% decrease in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration was observed 14 days post-ADT. A heterogeneous increase in PSMA uptake was observed 3 to 4 weeks post-ADT. This phenomenon was definitively more evident in bone metastases: 13 (57%) of the metastasis, with a mean (range) SUVmax increase of 77% (8–238%). In one patient, already having bone metastases at baseline, three new bone metastases were observed post-ADT. Of lesions with reduced SUVmax, none disappeared.

Conclusions
Both in patient and region level, increase in PSMA uptake post-ADT is heterogenous and is seen most evidently in bone metastases. Preliminary results on a small cohort of patients suggest the clinical impact of ADT on improving the performance of 68Ga-PSMA PET in staging seems to be minor. However, the optimal imaging time point might be 3 to 4 weeks post-ADT. Since none of the metastases with decreasing SUVmax disappeared, it seems that short-term usage of ADT does not interfere with the interpretation of 68Ga-PSMA PET.

Trial registration
NCT03313726, registered 18 October 2017; EUDRA-CT, 2017-002345-29.
The effect of lanthanum carbonate on calciprotein particles in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Nakamura Kimihiko , Nagata Yudai , Hiroyoshi Toshiya , Isoyama Naohito , Fujikawa Koki , Miura Yutaka , Matsuyama Hideyasu , Kuro-o Makoto 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
Aggregation of solid-phase calcium–phosphate and fetuin-A form nanoparticles called calciprotein particles (CPP). Serum CPP levels are increased in CKD patients and correlated with vascular stiffness and calcification. In this study, we evaluated effects of lanthanum carbonate (LC) and calcium carbonate (CC) on serum CPP levels in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods
Twenty-four (24) HD patients (50% men, age; 68 ± 12 years, dialysis period; 6.2 ± 4.8 years, Kt/v; 1.74 ± 0.34) were treated with CC during 0–8 weeks and then switched to LC during 9–16 weeks. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 8, 16 weeks. Serum CPP levels (TCPP) were measured by the gel-filtration method. Low-density CPP (LCPP) levels were determined by centrifuging the serum samples at 16,000 g for 2 h and measuring CPP levels in the supernatant. The difference between TCPP and LCPP was defined as the high-density CPP (HCPP) level. We evaluated association of TCPP, LCPP, and HCPP with serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), intact PTH, FGF23, Klotho, fetuin-A, aortic calcification index (ACI), LDL cholesterol, and hs-CRP.

Results
TCPP and LCPP levels were significantly decreased after switching CC to LC, whereas Ca and P levels were not changed. HCPP levels were below the lower limit quantification in all patients. The changes in P, Ca × P, LDL cholesterol, but not ACI and the changes in hs-CRP, were correlated with the change in TCPP levels.

Conclusion
The TCPP levels were significantly decreased after switching CC to LC. Non-calcium-containing phosphate binders may be preferable for lowering CPP levels.
Could robots strengthen the sense of autonomy of older people residing in assisted living facilities?—A future-oriented study
Authors: Pirhonen Jari , Melkas Helinä , Laitinen Arto , Pekkarinen Satu 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThere is an urge to introduce high technology and robotics in care settings. Assisted living (AL) is the fastest growing form of older adults’ long-term care. Resident autonomy has become the watchword for good care. This article sheds light on the potential effects of care robotics on the sense of autonomy of older people in AL. Three aspects of the residents’ sense of autonomy are of particular interest: (a) interaction-based sense of autonomy, (b) coping-based sense of autonomy, and (c) potential-based sense of autonomy. Ethnographical data on resident autonomy in an AL facility and existing literature on care robots are utilized in studying what kind of assurances different types of robots would provide to maintain the sense of autonomy in AL. Robots could strengthen the different types of sense of autonomy in multiple ways. Different types of robots could widen the residents’ space of daily movements, sustain their capacities, and help them maintain and even create future expectations. Robots may strengthen the sense of autonomy of older persons in AL; however, they may simultaneously pose a threat. Multi-professional discussions are needed on whether robots are welcomed in care, and if they are, how, for whom, and in what areas.
Phosphorus thresholds for bloom-forming cyanobacterial taxa in boreal lakes
Authors: Vuorio Kristiina , Järvinen Marko , Kotamäki Niina 
Published: December 2019

AbstractCyanobacteria may limit recreational use of waters and have negative impacts on ecosystem services. The aim of this study was to determine phosphorus (P) thresholds for cyanobacterial taxa, which form toxin-producing blooms (mass occurrences) in boreal lakes. These thresholds help to set robust P reduction targets for restoration measures. We used long-term (> 40 years) June–August data from > 2000 Finnish lakes to evaluate the total P (TP) thresholds for the most important bloom-forming cyanobacterial genera and selected Microcystis and Dolichospermum species. The analyses were carried out separately for oligohumic, mesohumic and polyhumic lakes. TP threshold values varied between 10 and 61 µg l−1. The values were lower in oligohumic (water colour < 30 mg Pt l−1) than mesohumic (water colour 30–90 mg Pt l−1) lakes. The highest TP threshold (50 µg l−1) was observed for Microcystis in polyhumic lakes, and the lowest (10 µg l−1) for Planktothrix in oligohumic lakes.
Logical Reasoning in Formal and Everyday Reasoning Tasks
Authors: Bronkhorst Hugo , Roorda Gerrit , Suhre Cor , Goedhart Martin 
Published: December 2019

AbstractLogical reasoning is of great societal importance and, as stressed by the twenty-first century skills framework, also seen as a key aspect for the development of critical thinking. This study aims at exploring secondary school students’ logical reasoning strategies in formal reasoning and everyday reasoning tasks. With task-based interviews among 4 16- and 17-year-old pre-university students, we explored their reasoning strategies and the reasoning difficulties they encounter. In this article, we present results from linear ordering tasks, tasks with invalid syllogisms and a task with implicit reasoning in a newspaper article. The linear ordering tasks and the tasks with invalid syllogisms are presented formally (with symbols) and non-formally in ordinary language (without symbols). In tasks that were familiar to our students, they used rule-based reasoning strategies and provided correct answers although their initial interpretation differed. In tasks that were unfamiliar to our students, they almost always used informal interpretations and their answers were influenced by their own knowledge. When working on the newspaper article task, the students did not use strong formal schemes, which could have provided a clear overview. At the end of the article, we present a scheme showing which reasoning strategies are used by students in different types of tasks. This scheme might increase teachers’ awareness of the variety in reasoning strategies and can guide classroom discourse during courses on logical reasoning. We suggest that using suitable formalisations and visualisations might structure and improve students’ reasoning as well.
Improved graph-based SFA: information preservation complements the slowness principle
Authors: Escalante-B. Alberto N. , Wiskott Laurenz 
Published: December 2019

AbstractSlow feature analysis (SFA) is an unsupervised learning algorithm that extracts slowly varying features from a multi-dimensional time series. SFA has been extended to supervised learning (classification and regression) by an algorithm called graph-based SFA (GSFA). GSFA relies on a particular graph structure to extract features that preserve label similarities. Processing of high dimensional input data (e.g., images) is feasible via hierarchical GSFA (HGSFA), resulting in a multi-layer neural network. Although HGSFA has useful properties, in this work we identify a shortcoming, namely, that HGSFA networks prematurely discard quickly varying but useful features before they reach higher layers, resulting in suboptimal global slowness and an under-exploited feature space. To counteract this shortcoming, which we call unnecessary information loss, we propose an extension called hierarchical information-preserving GSFA (HiGSFA), where some features fulfill a slowness objective and other features fulfill an information preservation objective. The efficacy of the extension is verified in three experiments: (1) an unsupervised setup where the input data is the visual stimuli of a simulated rat, (2) the localization of faces in image patches, and (3) the estimation of human age from facial photographs of the MORPH-II database. Both HiGSFA and HGSFA can learn multiple labels and offer a rich feature space, feed-forward training, and linear complexity in the number of samples and dimensions. However, the proposed algorithm, HiGSFA, outperforms HGSFA in terms of feature slowness, estimation accuracy, and input reconstruction, giving rise to a promising hierarchical supervised-learning approach. Moreover, for age estimation, HiGSFA achieves a mean absolute error of 3.41 years, which is a competitive performance for this challenging problem.
Spatial patterns in soil organic matter dynamics are shaped by mycorrhizosphere interactions in a treeline forest
Authors: Friggens Nina L. , Aspray Thomas J. , Parker Thomas C. , Subke Jens-Arne , Wookey Philip A. 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Aims
In the Swedish sub-Arctic, mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii) forests mediate rapid soil C cycling relative to adjacent tundra heaths, but little is known about the role of individual trees within forests. Here we investigate the spatial extent over which trees influence soil processes.

Methods
We measured respiration, soil C stocks, root and mycorrhizal productivity and fungi:bacteria ratios at fine spatial scales along 3 m transects extending radially from mountain birch trees in a sub-Arctic ecotone forest. Root and mycorrhizal productivity was quantified using in-growth techniques and fungi:bacteria ratios were determined by qPCR.

Results
Neither respiration, nor root and mycorrhizal production, varied along transects. Fungi:bacteria ratios, soil organic C stocks and standing litter declined with increasing distance from trees.

Conclusions
As 3 m is half the average size of forest gaps, these findings suggest that forest soil environments are efficiently explored by roots and associated mycorrhizal networks of B. pubescens. Individual trees exert influence substantially away from their base, creating more uniform distributions of root, mycorrhizal and bacterial activity than expected. However, overall rates of soil C accumulation do vary with distance from trees, with potential implications for spatio-temporal soil organic matter dynamics and net ecosystem C sequestration.