bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparable increases in dural sac area after three different posterior decompression techniques for lumbar spinal stenosis: radiological results from a randomized controlled trial in the NORDSTEN study
Authors: Hermansen Erland , Austevoll Ivar Magne , Hellum Christian , Storheim Kjersti , Myklebust Tor Åge , Aaen Jørn , Banitalebi Hasan , Anvar Masoud , Rekeland Frode , Brox Jens Ivar , Franssen Eric , Weber Clemens , Solberg Tore , Haug Knut Jørgen , Grundnes Oliver , Brisby Helena , Indrekvam Kari 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Purpose
To investigate changes in dural sac area after three different posterior decompression techniques in patients undergoing surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Summary of background data
Decompression of the nerve roots is the main surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis. The aim of this study was to radiologically investigate three commonly used posterior decompression techniques.

Methods
The present study reports data from one of two multicenter randomized trials included in the NORDSTEN study. In the present trial, involving 437 patients undergoing surgery, we report radiological results after three different midline retaining posterior decompression techniques: unilateral laminotomy with crossover (UL) (n = 146), bilateral laminotomy (BL) (n = 142) and spinous process osteotomy (SPO) (n = 149). MRI was performed before and three months after surgery. The increase in dural sac area and Schizas grade at the most stenotic level was evaluated. Three different predefined surgical indicators of substantial decompression were used: (1) postoperative dural sac area of > 100 mm2, (2) increase in the dural sac area of at least 50% and (3) postoperative Schizas grade A or B.

Results
No differences between the three surgical groups were found in the mean increase in dural sac area. Mean values were 66.0 (SD 41.5) mm2 in the UL-group, 71.9 (SD 37.1) mm2 in the BL-group and 68.1 (SD 41.0) mm2 in the SPO-group (p = 0.49). No differences in the three predefined surgical outcomes between the three groups were found.

Conclusion
For patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, the three different surgical techniques provided the same increase in dural sac area.

Clinical trial registration
The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov reference on November 22th 2013 under the identifier NCT02007083.
Observed changes in heat waves with different severities in China during 1961–2015
Authors: Xie Wenxin , Zhou Botao , You Qinglong , Zhang Yuqing , Ullah Safi 
Published: June 2020

AbstractHeat waves (HWs) exert severe impacts on ecosystem, social economy, and human lives. Thus, changes in HWs under a warming climate have triggered extensive interests. In this study, the authors developed a new method to identify the HW events in China by double thresholds and further classified them into four categories (i.e., mild, moderate, severe, and extreme HWs) according to their magnitudes by using the daily maximum temperature data from 701 observation stations. On this basis, the spatiotemporal features of HWs with different severities in China from 1961 to 2015 were investigated. The results show that the high HW frequency mainly appears in Jianghuai, South China and western Northwest China. Moreover, the high frequencies of moderate, severe, and extreme HWs occur from June to August and reach the peak in July, while the mild HW frequency is compared from May to September. Since the 1960s, the frequencies of the mild, moderate, severe, and extreme HWs in China have increased significantly with rates of 7.5, 4.3, 1.4, and 1.8 events per year, respectively. The increases are the greatest in July for the moderate, severe, and extreme HWs while comparable during May to September for the mild HW. Besides, an interdecadal change is found to occur in the late 1990s. Compared with the former period (1961–1996), the occurrence of the extreme HWs during the latter period (1997–2015) has increased most significantly in eastern Northwest China and North China, while the frequency of the mild HWs increases most significantly in Jianghuai and South China.
Numerical Study of Self-Heating Ignition of a Box of Lithium-Ion Batteries During Storage
Authors: Hu Zhenwen , He Xuanze , Restuccia Francesco , Rein Guillermo 
Published: June 2020

AbstractMany thermal events have been reported during storage and transport of large numbers of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), raising industry concerns and research interests in its mechanisms. Apart from electrochemical failure, self-heating ignition, driven by poor heat transfer could also be a possible cause of fire in large-scale ensembles of LIBs. The classical theories and models of self-heating ignition assume a homogeneous lumped system, whereas LIBs storage involves complex geometry and heterogeneous material composition due to the packaging and insulation, which significantly changes the heat transfer within the system. These effects on the self-heating behaviour of LIBs have not been studied yet. In this study, the self-heating ignition behaviour of a box containing 100 LiCoO2 (LCO) type of cylindrical cells with different insulation is numerically modelled using COMSOL Multiphysics with a multi-step reaction scheme. The model predicts that the critical ambient temperature triggering self-ignition of the box is 125°C, which is 30°C lower than that for a single cell, and the time to thermal runaway is predicted to be 15 times longer. The effects of different insulating materials and packing configurations are also analysed. This work provides novel insights into the self-heating of large-scale LIBs.
The Relationship Between Gambling Event Frequency, Motor Response Inhibition, Arousal, and Dissociative Experience
Authors: Harris Andrew , Gous Georgina , de Wet Bobbie , Griffiths Mark D. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractSpeed of play has been identified as a key structural characteristic in gambling behaviour, where games involving higher playing speeds enhance the experience of gambling. Of interest in the present study is the consistent finding that games with higher event frequencies are preferred by problem gamblers and are associated with more negative gambling outcomes, such as difficulty quitting the game and increased monetary loss. The present study investigated the impact of gambling speed of play on executive control functioning, focusing on how increased speeds of play impact motor response inhibition, and the potential mediating role arousal and dissociative experience play in this relationship. Fifty regular non-problem gamblers took part in a repeated-measures experiment where they gambled with real money on a simulated slot machine across five speed of play conditions. Response inhibition was measured using an embedded Go/No-Go task, where participants had to withhold motor responses, rather than operating the spin button on the slot machine when a specific colour cue was present. Results indicated that response inhibition performance was significantly worse during faster speeds of play, and that the role of arousal in this relationship was independent of any motor priming affect. The implications of these findings for gambling legislation and gambling harm-minimisation approaches are discussed.
Heavy metals in playgrounds in Lublin (E Poland): sources, pollution levels and health risk
Authors: Zgłobicki Wojciech , Telecka Małgorzata , Skupiński Sebastian 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn the paper, the pollution of playgrounds in Lublin with heavy metals was assessed. Since playgrounds are a place of activity of children—the most vulnerable group of city residents, identifying the degree of pollution and the related health hazards is particularly important. 50 playgrounds were investigated, and samples were collected from three types of places: soil in the playgrounds, soil beneath the swings and soil in the sandpits (a total of 91 samples); heavy metal levels were determined in the < 0.05-mm fraction. The mean heavy metal levels were Cd—4.7 mg kg−1, Cr—192.4 mg kg−1, Cu—16.3 mg kg−1, Hg—0.027 mg kg−1, Ni—12.7 mg kg−1, Pb—41 mg kg−1, and Zn—79.8 mg kg−1, and they were in the following order when normalised to the geochemical background: Cd > Cr > Zn > Pb > Hg > Ni > Cu. The highest mean levels occurred in the case of soil collected from beneath the swings (Cd, Cr, Ni and Zn) or soil in the playgrounds (Cu, Hg and Pb). Geochemical indices such as Igeo and EF indicate the lack of pollution or low level of pollution with Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn and Pb. Moderate or considerable pollution with Cd and, sporadically, with Hg occurred in some playgrounds. A significant ecological risk was found for all samples due to the presence of Cd and, for about 20% of the samples, the concentration of Hg. In all the cases analysed, the values of health hazard indices (HI, CR) for children are very low and well below the hazard threshold for each element.
Fabrication of Composite Material with Pd Nanoparticles and Graphene on Nickel Foam for Its Excellent Electrocatalytic Performance
Authors: Shen Yanmei , Lu Shixiang , Xu Wenguo , Lv Anqi , Wang Ziwen , Wang Hongtao , Liu Guoxiao , Zhang Yan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIncorporation of precious metallic nanoparticles onto a carbon support material is used to obtain an electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation. A composite material of spherical palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and polydopamine (PDA) on three-dimensional nickel foam (NF) substrate (Pd/rGO/PDA@NF) has been synthesized for ethanol electrocatalysis. The Pd nanoparticles were obtained via reduction of precursor K2PdCl4 using ascorbic acid at 60 °C for 80 min. The rGO with large specific surface area was used in catalysts to provide large amounts of active sites for Pd NPs. Meanwhile, Pd NPs as an effective ingredient in catalyst exhibited excellent electrochemical activity of ethanol oxidation. Local surface plasmon resonance was carried out to determine the optimal concentration of precursor K2PdCl4 aqueous solution, and the absorbance peak of Pd NPs was found at about 340–370 nm by UV-visible spectroscopy. An enhanced property of the composite material Pd/rGO/PDA@NF was demonstrated to catalyze the ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolyte solution. A higher ratio of forward scan peak current intensity (If) to reverse scan peak current intensity (Ib) was 1.59, which demonstrated the significant anti-poison effect to carbonaceous intermediates of the Pd/rGO/PDA@NF. The value of If can maintain 90.6% after 400 cycles, indicating the higher cycling stability and better electrocatalytic performance toward ethanol oxidation.
Optimizing initial oil production of horizontal Wolfcamp wells utilizing data analytics
Authors: Alzahabi A. , Trindade A. Alexandre , Kamel A. , Harouaka A. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractMachine learning techniques have fundamentally altered how oil and gas industry practitioners design fracture operations. In this paper, we perform data analytics utilizing response surface methodology (RSM), a group of statistical techniques that develop a functional relationship between an output variable of interest and several associated input variables, to optimize the output. We apply RSM to optimize horizontal well production based on initial production (IP) of horizontal oil wells for 180 days (IP180 Oil), as a function of five input variables: reservoir type, fracturing fluid (gal/ft), proppants (lbm/ft), cluster spacing, and stage length (ft). The RSM model correlates the initial production of each well to the input variables via a single equation, thus allowing for exploration of the fitted response surface in order to maximize production. Although the choice of the five inputs is made based primarily after consultation with industry professionals, we validate our selection by also applying an assortment of data-analytics-based methods that attempt to rank variable importance and thereby identify completion variables that may be predictive of initial production. The findings rank all five variables above the 50th percentile, thus indicating that the chosen variables have merit. This procedure is applied to a dataset of 201 horizontal wells from the Wolfcamp formations. The model fits reasonably well, with R2 = 61%, a very significant F-statistic p value, and a predicted versus observed values scatterplot indicating a good fit. The RSM analysis suggests that, within the feasible space defined by this dataset, maximum values of IP 180 Oil may be obtained by setting the fracturing fluid in gal/ft at approximately 1972, while simultaneously maximizing the remaining input variables (proppant loading, cluster spacing, stage length). The outcome indicates the possible directions to be taken in seeking a global optimum initial production for the setting of completion variables. Iteration of this scheme may lead to a near-optimum global solution. The real utility of this work may be indicating the way different studies may be designed to optimize production, each with its own selection of inputs, and ultimately be combined in a meta-analysis.
Cochrane Systematic Review Antiviral Treatment for Bell’s Palsy: an Opposing Opinion!
Authors: Bayoumy Ahmed B. , de Ru J. Alexander 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThis articles discusses the recently published Cochrane systematic review (CSR) on antiviral treatment for Bell’s palsy. The CSR concluded that there was no clear difference in rates of incomplete recovery between combination therapy and corticosteroids alone. The conclusions of this CSR are in our opinion misleading, illogical, and based on an overly restrictive view on the use of evidence. This article shows that the majority of studies are in favor of the combination therapy in regard to recovery and reduction of long-term sequelae. Based on all available evidence, the combination of antivirals and corticosteroids seems to be a useful treatment option and should be discussed with patients by shared decision-making.
The impact of online platform transparency of information on consumers’ choices
Authors: VELTRI GIUSEPPE A. , LUPIÁÑEZ-VILLANUEVA FRANCISCO , FOLKVORD FRANS , THEBEN ALEXANDRA , GASKELL GEORGE 
Published: June 2020

AbstractMillions of Europeans use online platforms with almost blind trust that the platforms operate in the interests of the consumer. However, the presentation of search results, transparency about contractual parties and the publication of user reviews that contribute to the value of online platforms in Europe's Single Digital Market also pose significant risks regarding consumer protection and market competition. The current study investigates how enhanced information transparency in online platforms might affect consumers’ trust in online activities and choice behaviour. Following an exploratory qualitative study, three online discrete-choice experiments were conducted with representative samples of 1200 respondents in each of four countries: Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK. The objective of the experiments was to test whether increased transparency in the presentation of online search information, details of contractual entities and the implications for consumer protection and user reviews and ratings would affect consumers’ choices. The results show that increased online transparency increases the probability of product selection. A comparison across the four countries found that the similarities in responses to online transparency were far greater than the differences. The findings are discussed in relation to the biases and heuristics identified in behavioural science. In conclusion, recommendations are made to increase online transparency, which the empirical evidence of this study shows would benefit both users and platform operators.
Sarcopenic obesity in ageing: cardiovascular outcomes and mortality
Authors: Atkins Janice L. , Wannamathee S. Goya 
Published: June 2020

AbstractObesity is a major public health issue with prevalence increasing worldwide. Obesity is a well-established risk factor for CVD and mortality in adult populations. However, the impact of being overweight or obese in the elderly on CVD and mortality is controversial. Some studies even suggest that overweight and obesity, measured by BMI, are apparently associated with a decreased mortality risk (known as the obesity paradox). Ageing is associated with an increase in visceral fat and a progressive loss of muscle mass. Fat mass is positively associated and lean mass is negatively associated with risk of mortality. Therefore, in older adults BMI is not a good indicator of obesity. Sarcopenia has been defined as the degenerative loss of muscle mass, quality and strength with age and is of major concern in ageing populations. Sarcopenia has previously been associated with increased risks of metabolic impairment, cardiovascular risk factors, physical disability and mortality. It is possible for sarcopenia to co-exist with obesity, and sarcopenic obesity is a new class of obesity in older adults who have high adiposity levels together with low muscle mass, quality or strength. Therefore, sarcopenia with obesity may act together to increase their effect on metabolic disorders, CVD and mortality. This review will discuss the available evidence for the health implications of sarcopenic obesity on CVD and mortality in older adults.
‘Converse racialization’ and ‘un/marking’ language: The making of a bilingual university in a neoliberal world
Authors: Mena Mike , García Ofelia 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe discourse on the opening of a bilingual university along the Texas-Mexico border leads us to propose a theory of ‘converse racialization’ through which the local Spanish is being progressively ‘unmarked’ and disassociated from the language practice of Mexican Americans. Converse racialization, as the equal and opposite co-constituting underside of racialization, shifts the directionality of semiotic indexes away from a particular ‘race’ or ‘ethnicity’ (including whiteness) and produces an apparent state of ‘unmarkedness’. We argue that the process of ‘unmarking’ Spanish has social, economic, and racializing consequences. Specifically, the language-as-resource discourse obscures and rearticulates the ‘deficiency perspective’ that continues to perpetuate structural inequalities that Latinxs in the border face. (Racialization, higher education, critical race theory, bilingualism, neoliberalism)*
Fine Structural and Biochemical Investigations of Pheochromocytomas in Bulls with C-Cell (Ultimobranchial) Neoplasms of the Thyroid (UBT)
Authors: Yarrington J. T. , Capen C. C. 
Published: June 2020

Pheochromocytomas have been reported to occur concomitantly in 147, of bulls with C-cell tumors of the thyroid (Wilke and Krook, Path. Vet. 7:126, 1970). The objective of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural and biochemical alterations in the adrenal medulla of 6 bulls (5 of which had C-cell tumors of the thyroid) and compare these findings to those of the normal adrenal medulla in 12 control bulls.The adrenal medulla from control bulls was characterized by the close apposition of secretory cells to numerous capillaries. The background cytoplasmic density of parenchymal cells varied from dark to light and the majority appeared to be in a storage phase. Secretory granules were present in nearly all cells but were more numerous in those with a greater cytoplasmic density. The parenchymal cells could be divided into 2 types on the basis of the structure of their secretory granules.
Numerical Insights Into the Effects of Model Geometric Distortion in Laboratory Experiments of Urban Flooding
Authors: Li Xuefang , Erpicum Sébastien , Mignot Emmanuel , Archambeau Pierre , Rivière Nicolas , Pirotton Michel , Dewals Benjamin 
Published: June 2020

AbstractGeometrically distorted scale models have been a valuable tool for physical modeling of urban flooding in a network of streets. However, little is known so far about the bias induced in such cases by the model geometric distortion. Here, we use 2‐D computational modeling to provide a first systematic quantification of this bias in the case of a synthetic urban layout. The bias is found to be generally small, with the maximum deviations of the upscaled flow depth and discharge partition from the corresponding values of the undistorted model being around 10% in the case of relatively rapid and shallow flow conditions. When the geometric distortion is increased, the computations reveal a nonmonotonous pattern of the flow variables (depth, discharge partition, and size of flow separation zones), which results from a competition between declining frictional losses and growing local losses in the model. These findings may guide the design of distorted scale models of urban flooding and assist the interpretation of laboratory observations for assessing flood protection measures, for process understanding or for validating computational modeling.
Beach Slopes From Satellite‐Derived Shorelines
Authors: Vos Kilian , Harley Mitchell D. , Splinter Kristen D. , Walker Andrew , Turner Ian L. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe steepness of the beach face is a fundamental parameter for coastal morphodynamic research. Despite its importance, it remains extremely difficult to obtain reliable estimates of the beach‐face slope over large spatial scales (thousands of km of coastline). In this letter, a novel approach to estimate this slope from time series of satellite‐derived shoreline positions is presented. This new technique uses a frequency domain analysis to find the optimum slope that minimizes high‐frequency tidal fluctuations relative to lower‐frequency erosion/accretion signals. A detailed assessment of this new approach at eight locations spanning a range of tidal regimes, wave climates, and sediment grain sizes shows strong agreement (R2 = 0.93) with field measurements. The automated technique is then applied across thousands of beaches in eastern Australia and California, USA, revealing similar regional‐scale distributions along these two contrasting coastlines and highlights the potential for new global‐scale insight to beach‐face slope spatial distribution, variability, and trends.
Knudsen pumps: a review
Authors: Wang Xiaowei , Su Tianyi , Zhang Wenqing , Zhang Zhijun , Zhang Shiwei 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe Knudsen pump (KP) is a kind of micro-pump that can form thermally induced flows induced by temperature fields in rarefied gas environments. It has the advantages of having no moving parts, simple structure, easy construction and extension, a wide range of energy sources, and low energy consumption. With the development of Micro/Nano Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS/NEMS), extensive studies have been conducted on KPs, and the applications of KPs have widened. In order to obtain efficient flow fields in KPs, it is necessary to adopt modern computational methods for simulation and analysis. In many circumstances, the simulation and experimental results have good agreement. However, there seems to be no comprehensive review on KPs at present. In this paper, KPs are first defined and classified according to the flow mechanisms of the thermally induced flows. Then, the three aspects of configurations, performance, and applications of KPs in the current state of research are reviewed and analyzed. Finally, the current problems of KP are discussed, and some suggestions are provided for future research and applications.