bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An immune challenge of female great tits decreases offspring survival and has sex-specific effects on offspring body size
Authors: Kubacka Justyna , Cichoń Mariusz 
Published: September 2020

AbstractInvestment in immunity is expected to decrease (costly immunity) or enhance (terminal investment) reproductive performance. Here, we tested the effects of activation of the immune system in female great tits (Parus major) on (1) their reproductive effort and (2) the survival and body condition of their offspring, controlling for chick sex. We injected females tending 3-day-old chicks with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) or saline (control) and recorded their provisioning rates 6 days later, during the expected peak of antibody production. We measured tarsus length and body mass in 11-day-old chicks and monitored changes in brood size. We found that female provisioning rates were unaffected by the SRBC challenge. An analysis without an outlier, however, showed a significant challenge-by-hatch date interaction. This interaction indicated that female provisioning rates decreased with hatch dates in the SRBC but not in the control nests, suggesting a stronger effect in later breeders. Chick body mass was not affected by female immunisation nor by its interaction with chick sex. However, we found a significant challenge-by-sex interaction on offspring tarsus. In SRBC nests, the difference in tarsus length between male and female chicks was lower than in controls, suggesting sex-dependent effects of the challenge on offspring structural growth. Finally, chick mortality was greater in SRBC nests compared with controls, but chick survival probability was not affected by sex. Overall, our results support the costly immunity but not the terminal investment hypothesis in the great tit.
Bending and free vibrational analysis of bi-directional functionally graded beams with circular cross-section
Authors: Huang Yong 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe bending and free vibrational behaviors of functionally graded (FG) cylindrical beams with radially and axially varying material inhomogeneities are investigated. Based on a high-order cylindrical beam model, where the shear deformation and rotary inertia are both considered, the two coupled governing differential motion equations for the deflection and rotation are established. The analytical bending solutions for various boundary conditions are derived. In the vibrational analysis of FG cylindrical beams, the two governing equations are firstly changed to a single equation by means of an auxiliary function, and then the vibration mode is expanded into shifted Chebyshev polynomials. Numerical examples are given to investigate the effects of the material gradient indices on the deflections, the stress distributions, and the eigenfrequencies of the cylindrical beams, respectively. By comparing the obtained numerical results with those obtained by the three-dimensional (3D) elasticity theory and the Timoshenko beam theory, the effectiveness of the present approach is verified.
Resolving the trade-off between production and biodiversity conservation in integrated forest management: comparing tree selection practices of foresters and conservationists
Authors: Cosyns Hannes , Joa Bettina , Mikoleit Ronja , Krumm Frank , Schuck Andreas , Winkel Georg , Schulz Tobias 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIntegrating nature conservation effectively in forests managed for timber production implies reconciling a trade-off between ecological and economic objectives. In continuous cover forest management, this culminates in decisions about tree harvesting (or retention) determining both the prevalence of tree-related microhabitats in the forest and the economic viability of timber management. Applying an innovative mixed methods approach, we compare conservationists and foresters performing a tree selection exercise. We assess the outcomes of their forest management decisions quantitatively and explore their strategies and the underlying reasoning based on qualitative data. Our findings show that particularly the habitat trees differ greatly between the two groups: while conservationists retained almost exclusively large oaks at often high opportunity costs, foresters retained a notable number of smaller-diameter hornbeams. These differences are related to a different perception of opportunity costs of retention by both groups, as well as because they do not agree about how to value current tree-related microhabitats and their projection into the future. Such diverging patterns of reasoning imply incompatible interpretations of what constitutes a habitat tree. Our results indicate that it is important to apply benchmarks for evaluating ecological goals as well as to increase foresters’ and conservationists’ understanding about the motivations and restrictions of the respective counterpart. Our study points out a significant potential for (mutual) learning, and illustrates the complementarity of quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine tree selection behaviour.
Risk factors for implant failure following revision surgery in breast cancer patients with a previous immediate implant-based breast reconstruction
Authors: Frisell A. , Lagergren J. , Halle M. , de Boniface J. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the current study was to evaluate risk factors and timing of revision surgery following immediate implant-based breast reconstruction (IBR).

Methods
This retrospective cohort included women with a previous therapeutic mastectomy and implant-based IBR who had undergone implant revision surgery between 2005 and 2015. Data were collected by medical chart review and registered in the Stockholm Breast Reconstruction Database. The primary endpoint was implant removal due to surgical complications, i.e. implant failure.

Results
The cohort consisted of 475 women with 707 revisions in 542 breasts. Overall, 33 implants were removed due to complications. The implant failure rate (4.7%) was lower without RT (2.4%) compared to RT administered after mastectomy (7.5%) and prior to IBR (6.5%) (p = 0.007). While post-mastectomy RT (OR 3.39, 95% CI 1.53–7.53), smoking (OR 3.90, 95% CI 1.76–8.65) and diabetes (OR 5.40, 95% CI 1.05–27.85) were confirmed as risk factors, time from completion of RT (> 9 months, 6–9 months, < 6 months) was not (OR 3.17, 95% CI 0.78–12.80, and OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.20–2.71). Additional risk factors were a previous axillary clearance (OR 4.91, 95% CI 2.09–11.53) and a history of a post-IBR infection (OR 15.52, 95% CI 4.15–58.01, and OR 12.93, 95% CI 3.04–55.12, for oral and intravenous antibiotics, respectively).

Conclusions
Previous axillary clearance and a history of post-IBR infection emerged as novel risk factors for implant failure after revision surgery. While known risk factors were confirmed, time elapsed from RT completion to revision surgery did not influence the outcome in this analysis.
Cellulose dissolution and regeneration using a non-aqueous, non-stoichiometric protic ionic liquid system
Authors: Berga Laura , Bruce Isobel , Nicol Thomas W. J. , Holding Ashley J. , Isobe Noriyuki , Shimizu Seishi , Walker Adam J. , Reid Joshua E. S. J. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe solubility of cellulose has been studied as a function of composition in the binary mixture of 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine and propionic acid. In amine-rich compositions, greater quantities of cellulose can be dissolved than in the equimolar composition, a.k.a. the protic ionic liquid [TMGH][OPr]. By applying a methodology of a short period of heating followed by cooling, similar concentrations of cellulose can be achieved in a much shorter time period. Finally, regeneration of cellulose from solution can be achieved by altering the acid:amine molar ratio. In comparison to cellulose regenerated from these solutions using water as an antisolvent, cellulose regenerated with propionic acid exhibit a lower crystallinity as inferred from x-ray diffractometry, but a greater average molecular weight as inferred from gel permeation chromatography.
Another Look at Mode Intentionalism
Authors: Mitchell Jonathan 
Published: September 2020

AbstractA central claim in contemporary philosophy of mind is that the phenomenal character of experience is entirely determined by its content. This paper considers an alternative calledMode Intentionalism. According to this view, phenomenal character outruns content because the intentional mode contributes to the phenomenal character of the experience. I assess a phenomenal contrast argument in support of this view, arguing that the cases appealed to allow for interpretations which do not require positing intentional modes as phenomenologically manifest aspects of experience.
The risk elicitation puzzle revisited: Across-methods (in)consistency?
Authors: Holzmeister Felix , Stefan Matthias 
Published: September 2020

AbstractWith the rise of experimental research in the social sciences, numerous methods to elicit and classify people’s risk attitudes in the laboratory have evolved. However, evidence suggests that attitudes towards risk may vary considerably when measured with different methods.
Based on a within-subject experimental design using four widespread risk preference elicitation tasks, we find that the different methods indeed give rise to considerably varying estimates of individual and aggregate level risk preferences. Conducting simulation exercises to obtain benchmarks for subjects’ behavior, we find that the observed heterogeneity in risk preference estimates across methods is qualitatively similar to the heterogeneity arising from independent random draws from the choice distributions observed in the experiment. Our study, however, provides evidence that subjects are surprisingly well aware of the variation in the riskiness of their choices. We argue that this calls into question the common interpretation of variation in revealed risk preferences as being inconsistent.
Flow intermittency negatively affects three phylogenetically related shredder stoneflies by reducing CPOM availability in recently intermittent Alpine streams in SW-Italian Alps
Authors: Piano Elena , Doretto Alberto , Falasco Elisa , Gruppuso Laura , Bona Francesca , Fenoglio Stefano 
Published: September 2020

AbstractSeveral Alpine streams are currently facing recurrent summer drying events with detrimental consequences on stream detritivores, i.e., shredders, due to negative effects via changes the organic matter (CPOM) availability. We examined the ecological requirements of three phylogenetically related shredder genera belonging to the family of Nemouridae (Plecoptera), namely Nemoura, Protonemura and Amphinemura, in 14 Alpine streams recently facing recurrent summer flow intermittency events. We evaluated the overlap among their ecological niches measured in terms of hydraulic stress, substrate composition, changes in CPOM availability and competition with other shredder taxa (i.e., presence of individuals of other shredders) and we examined potential changes in their ecological niches between permanent and intermittent sites. The ecological niches of Protonemura and Amphinemura overlap broadly, but not with Nemoura, suggesting only partial potential competition. The reduced CPOM availability decreased the individual abundance of the three genera in intermittent sites, where they consistently preferred microhabitats with high CPOM availability and low competition with other shredder taxa, possibly due to food limitation. Overall, our results emphasize how the negative effect of flow intermittency on shredders in Alpine streams is mainly due to the decrease in CPOM availability, with consequent potential bottom up effects on stream ecosystem functionality.
Electrochemical removal of Bisphenol A from landfill leachate under Nordic climate conditions
Authors: Ambauen Noëmi , Weber Clara , Muff Jens , Hallé Cynthia , Meyn Thomas 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
This study investigated the applicability of electrochemical oxidation for landfill leachate treatment in climate areas, where cold temperatures prevail (like Northern Norway). Experiments were completed with pre-treated (coagulation/flocculation and separation) landfill leachate at 6 and 20 °C in order to assess the temperature influence on the degradation of the organic pollutant Bisphenol A and the fate of the ordinary wastewater parameters COD and nitrate. Furthermore, two different anode materials (Ti/Pt and Nb/BDD) and three different current densities (10, 43 and 86 mA cm−2) were compared. Additionally, the formation of the two groups of disinfection by-products, trihalomethanes and perchlorate, was monitored. A 99% removal of Bisphenol A was confirmed at 6 °C on both tested anode materials, but a current density of at least 43 mA cm−2 must be applied. Removal rates were on average 38% slower at 6 °C than at 20 °C. For comparison, Bisphenol A removal in clean electrolyte disclosed faster degradation rates (between 50 and 68%) due to absent landfill leachate matrix effects. The energy consumption for 99% Bisphenol A removal was 0.28 to 1.30 kWh m−3, and was on average 14% higher at 6 °C compared to 20 °C. Trihalomethanes were mainly formed on Pt anodes in the ppb range, while perchlorate was primarily formed at BDD anodes in the ppm range. Formation of disinfection by-products increased with increased applied current and temperature. Electrochemical oxidation was found to be a suitable treatment process for landfill leachate in cold climate areas by successfully meeting treatment goals.

Graphic abstract
The effect of compliance with a perioperative goal-directed therapy protocol on outcomes after high-risk surgery: a before-after study
Authors: Boekel M. F. , Venema C. S. , Kaufmann T. , van der Horst I. C. C. , Vos J. J. , Scheeren T. W. L. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractPerioperative goal-directed therapy is considered to improve patient outcomes after high-risk surgery. The association of compliance with perioperative goal-directed therapy protocols and postoperative outcomes is unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of protocol compliance on postoperative outcomes following high-risk surgery, after implementation of a perioperative goal-directed therapy protocol. Through a before-after study design, patients undergoing elective high-risk surgery before (before-group) and after implementation of a perioperative goal-directed therapy protocol (after-group) were included. Perioperative goal-directed therapy in the after-group consisted of optimized stroke volume variation or stroke volume index and optimized cardiac index. Additionally, the association of protocol compliance with postoperative complications when using perioperative goal-directed therapy was assessed. High protocol compliance was defined as ≥ 85% of the procedure time spent within the individual targets. The difference in complications during the first 30 postoperative days before and after implementation of the protocol was assessed. In the before-group, 214 patients were included and 193 patients in the after-group. The number of complications was higher in the before-group compared to the after-group (n = 414 vs. 282; p = 0.031). In the after-group, patients with high protocol compliance for stroke volume variation or stroke volume index had less complications compared to patients with low protocol compliance for stroke volume variation or stroke volume index (n = 187 vs. 90; p = 0.01). Protocol compliance by the attending clinicians is essential and should be monitored to facilitate an improvement in postoperative outcomes desired by the implementation of perioperative goal-directed therapy protocols.
Left-censored dementia incidences in estimating cohort effects
Authors: Weißbach Rafael , Kim Yongdai , Dörre Achim , Fink Anne , Doblhammer Gabriele 
Published: September 2020

AbstractWe estimate the dementia incidence hazard in Germany for the birth cohorts 1900 until 1954 from a simple sample of Germany’s largest health insurance company. Followed from 2004 to 2012, 36,000 uncensored dementia incidences are observed and further 200,000 right-censored insurants included. From a multiplicative hazard model we find a positive and linear trend in the dementia hazard over the cohorts. The main focus of the study is on 11,000 left-censored persons who have already suffered from the disease in 2004. After including the left-censored observations, the slope of the trend declines markedly due to Simpson’s paradox, left-censored persons are imbalanced between the cohorts. When including left-censoring, the dementia hazard increases differently for different ages, we consider omitted covariates to be the reason. For the standard errors from large sample theory, left-censoring requires an adjustment to the conditional information matrix equality.
My objectivity is better than yours: contextualising debates about gender inequality
Authors: Worsdale Rosie , Wright Jack 
Published: September 2020

AbsractIn this paper, we contribute to a growing literature in the philosophy of social science cautioning social scientists against context-independent claims to objectivity, by analyzing the recent proposal of a new Basic Index of Gender Inequality (BIGI) by Gijsbert Stoet and David Geary. Despite the many internal problems with BIGI, Stoet and Geary have had some success in positioning the index as an important corrective to the way in which gender inequality is measured in mainstream metrics like the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI). We argue that this success is facilitated at least in part by the failure of GGGI’s proponents to adequately justify the methodological choices underpinning the index in relation to the context in which the index’s findings are intended to be used. In so doing, the authors of GGGI oversell the objectivity of the metric’s assessment of the state of global gender inequality—and it is this overselling that allows Stoet and Geary to present BIGI as a metric that corrects what they claim are systematic biases within GGGI. The case of BIGI and GGGI, we argue, suggests that the kind of epistemic modesty exhibited by recent operational approaches to objectivity is particularly important for social research on highly politically contested topics.
Hot Processing of Powder Metallurgy and Wrought Ti-6Al-4V Alloy with Large Total Deformation: Physical Modeling and Verification by Rolling
Authors: Wojtaszek Marek , Korpała Grzegorz , Śleboda Tomasz , Zyguła Krystian , Prahl Ulrich 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe influence of the total deformation amount on the microstructure and selected properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy was determined in this study. Multi-axis compression tests on the MaxStrain module were performed to obtain large strains. Starting material for the research was obtained by the powder metallurgy (PM) route. Plastically processed cast alloy of the same chemical composition as PM alloy was also tested as reference material. The tests were performed with the cooling of samples between successive deformation stages, which allowed for the simulation of the temperature drop occurring during industrial processes. The multi-stage deformation ability of PM Ti-6Al-4V alloy without decohesion was confirmed. It has also been shown that the application of increasing total strain at a controlled temperature changes the samples resulting in the refinement of the microstructure and leads to the fragmentation of lamellae. The results obtained from MaxStrain tests were verified by multi-stage hot-rolling tests. Defect-free products were obtained, whose good quality was confirmed by the microstructural observations as well as by the investigations of their properties. The results of the rolling tests confirmed the possibility of hot processing of Ti-6Al-4V alloy compacts in industrial conditions, applying large total strain.
Surgical treatment of primary pulmonary artery sarcoma
Authors: Han Yongxin , Zhen Yanan , Liu Xiaopeng , Zheng Xia , Zhang Jianbin , Zhai Zhenguo , Duan Jun , Zhang Yajun , Liu Peng 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Objective
Primary pulmonary artery sarcoma (PAS) is a rare tumor that originates from the intimal layer of the pulmonary artery or pulmonary valve and has a poor prognosis. The standard treatment for this devastating disease remains unclear. This study aimed to summarize the current standard treatments for PAS.

Methods
From September 2015 to January 2020, six patients were diagnosed with PAS and underwent pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) at our department. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed to analyze the clinical characteristics, histopathological features, and postoperative outcomes. Fourteen articles, each reporting at least 6 cases, identified 201 patients diagnosed with PAS, and 158 patients had detailed treatments and follow-up data.

Results
All of the patients who successfully underwent PEA were alive at follow-up, with a mean survival duration of 11.6 months (7–28 months), and one patient developed recurrence in the right upper lobe lung. Two patients received postoperative chemotherapy. In one patient, the tumor invaded the pulmonary valve.

Conclusions
PAS resection combined with PEA via the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest could achieve maximal tumor resection in patients without metastatic lesions. An individualized surgery strategy relies on a precise preoperative imaging examination. Moreover, postoperative adjuvant therapy could yield improved survival outcomes.
Usefulness of prototypes in conceptual design: students’ view
Authors: Carfagni Monica , Fiorineschi Lorenzo , Furferi Rocco , Governi Lapo , Rotini Federico 
Published: September 2020

AbstractPlanning prototyping strategies for conceptual design purposes is a crucial activity, which needs a clear understanding of the potentialities of the different typologies of prototype. Therefore, to prepare future designers, it is very important to provide the required information in design-related academic courses. However, prototypes and prototyping activities are often taught in specific courses with a major emphasis on the underpinning technologies, but with limited attention on design implications, especially about the fuzzy-front-end of the design process. The work presented in this paper aims at investigating about how students perceive the usefulness of prototypes during conceptual design activities, in order to provide first indications about the gap to be filled. To this purpose, two classes of students participated to an experimental session, and were asked to perform a conceptual design task individually. Subsequently, they participated to an on-line survey developed to gather information about the perceived usefulness of prototypes, in relation to the performed conceptual design activity. Several findings have been obtained from this work, but maybe the most impacting one concerns the different consideration that the two samples of students had about the fidelity of prototypes. Indeed, differently from what recently highlighted in current literature, it emerged that engineering students preferred low-fidelity prototypes. However, other unexpected evidences have been found, which highlight that at least for the considered institution, students still lack a comprehensive understanding of the design-related potentialities of prototypes.