bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimization of steam explosion parameters for improved biotechnological use of wheat straw
Authors: Sulzenbacher Daniel , Atzmüller Denise , Hawe Felix , Richter Manuela , Cristobal-Sarramian Alvaro , Zwirzitz Alexander 
Published: January 2021

AbstractUsing lignocellulosic raw materials as substrate for biotechnological applications has been a focus of research during the last two decades. They contain sugars, which can be used in industrial fermentation processes, in from of polysaccharides (cellulose, hemicellulose). Wheat straw, one representative of lignocellulosic materials, is sustainably and abundantly available, especially in Europe and North America. However, wheat straw, just like any other lignocellulosic material, needs to be pretreated in one way or the other in order to generate sufficient quantities of monosaccharides. One widely used pretreatment for lignocellulosic material is steam explosion combined with enzymatic hydrolysis. In this study, the effects of steam exploding wheat straw in combination with water are presented. By impregnation with water, saccharide yields from subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis increased from 18.8 to 22.6 g L−1 for glucose and 13.8 to 16.4 g L−1 for xylose, respectively. Moreover, the basic steam explosion parameters residence time and temperature were optimized in ranges from 5 to 20 min and 180–200 °C. This further optimization increased the maximum saccharide yield to 41.2 g L−1 for glucose (200 °C, 15 min) and 18.9 g L−1 for xylose (190 °C, 10 min). Finally, the growth of the intensively investigated biotechnological production host Yarrowia lipolytica on hydrolysates derived from different steam explosion parameters was evaluated. Y. lipolytica grew well in media containing up to 90% wheat straw hydrolysate as sole carbon source, demonstrating the potential as substrate for biotechnological processes.
A male with primary accessory breast carcinoma in an axilla is strongly suspected of having hereditary breast cancer
Authors: Takahashi Eriko , Terata Kaori , Nanjo Hiroshi , Ishiyama Koichi , Hiroshima Yuko , Yamaguchi Ayuko , Yatsuyanagi Misako , Kudo Chiaki , Wakita Akiyuki , Takashima Shinogu , Sato Yusuke , Imai Kazuhiro , Motoyama Satoru , Minamiya Yoshihiro 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWe herein report on a male with primary accessory breast cancer in an axilla. A 75-year-old man first noticed a subcutaneous nodule about 2 cm in diameter in the area of his right axilla. The patient underwent extirpation of the mass in a public hospital. Histological examination revealed invasive breast carcinoma of no special type associated with mucinous carcinoma, invasive micropapillary carcinoma and intraductal components. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the tumor cells were positive for Gross cystic disease fluid protein (GCDFP)-15, mammaglobin and GATA3. Staining for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) was positive, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) was negative. The Ki67 labeling index (LI) was 33.6%. Imaging revealed no evidence of a primary tumor in any other organ or in the bilateral mammary gland. We performed radical resection of the right axilla, including the scar, and axillary lymph node dissection. The final pathological examination of the surgical specimen showed normal mammary gland tissue that was not connected to the proper mammary gland, and no residual cancer or metastatic lymph nodes. Based on our clinical and pathological findings, this tumor was diagnosed as breast cancer originating from the accessory mammary gland in the right axilla. After surgery, tamoxifen was administered as adjuvant therapy. Since the surgery, 2 years ago, there has been no evidence of recurrence. Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer syndrome was suspected in this case because the patient was a male with breast cancer, and he had two first-degree relatives with breast cancer. This patient had no BRCA mutations on genetic testing. Nonetheless, in cases of male breast cancer, it is necessary to obtain genetic information due to the possibility of hereditary breast cancer, including cancers associated with BRCA gene mutation.
Assessing the interplay between travel patterns and SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in realistic urban setting
Authors: Patil Rohan , Dave Raviraj , Patel Harsh , Shah Viraj M. , Chakrabarti Deep , Bhatia Udit 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe dense social contact networks and high mobility in congested urban areas facilitate the rapid transmission of infectious diseases. Typical mechanistic epidemiological models are either based on uniform mixing with ad-hoc contact processes or need real-time or archived population mobility data to simulate the social networks. However, the rapid and global transmission of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has led to unprecedented lockdowns at global and regional scales, leaving the archived datasets to limited use.FindingsWhile it is often hypothesized that population density is a significant driver in disease propagation, the disparate disease trajectories and infection rates exhibited by the different cities with comparable densities require a high-resolution description of the disease and its drivers. In this study, we explore the impact of creation of containment zones on travel patterns within the city. Further, we use a dynamical network-based infectious disease model to understand the key drivers of disease spread at sub-kilometer scales demonstrated in the city of Ahmedabad, India, which has been classified as a SARS-CoV-2 hotspot. We find that in addition to the contact network and population density, road connectivity patterns and ease of transit are strongly correlated with the rate of transmission of the disease. Given the limited access to real-time traffic data during lockdowns, we generate road connectivity networks using open-source imageries and travel patterns from open-source surveys and government reports. Within the proposed framework, we then analyze the relative merits of social distancing, enforced lockdowns, and enhanced testing and quarantining mitigating the disease spread.ScopeOur results suggest that the declaration of micro-containment zones within the city with high road network density combined with enhanced testing can help in containing the outbreaks until clinical interventions become available.
Temporally-differentiated biogenic carbon accounting of wood building product life cycles
Authors: Head Marieke , Magnan Michael , Kurz Werner A. , Levasseur Annie , Beauregard Robert , Margni Manuele 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAlthough standards have identified temporary carbon storage as an important element to consider in wood product LCAs, there has been no consensus on a methodology for its accounting. This work aims to improve the accounting of carbon storage and fluxes in long-life wood products in LCA. Biogenic carbon from harvested roundwood logs were tracked using the Carbon Budget Model Framework for Harvested Wood Products (CBMF-HWP). Carbon flows through wood product manufacturing, building life and end-of-life phases, and carbon stocks and fluxes from harvest to the atmosphere were estimated. To cover the products commonly used in the Canadian building industry, a range of softwood products types, provinces and territories and building lifetimes were considered. In addition, policy scenarios were considered in order to model the effects of dynamic parameters through time as a policy target is reached. Most wood products have similar emissions profiles, though cross-laminated timber has higher sawmill emissions and oriented-strand board has higher initial post-demolition emissions. The region of construction is also predictive of the initial post-demolition emissions. Higher recycling rates shift materials from landfills into subsequent product systems, thus avoiding landfill emissions. Landfill decay rates are affected by climate and results in a large range of landfill emissions. The degree of postponement of end-of-life emissions is highly dependent upon the wood product type, region and building lifespan parameters. This work develops biogenic carbon profiles that allows for modelling dynamic cradle-to-grave LCAs of Canadian wood products.
Comparison of self-tuned Neuro-Fuzzy controllers on 2 DOF helicopter: an application
Authors: Öztürk Muhammet , Özkol İbrahim 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn this paper, a new approach for Neuro-Fuzzy Controller (NFC) has been presented and compared to previously defined NFCs given in open literature. The proposed controller is based on an on-line Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and meticulous analysis through simulations is performed to show its robustness. The performance of Neuro-Fuzzy Controllers (NFC) depends on controller inputs. To show the difference and superiority of the proposed controller, many studies in the open literature are examined and compared. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of the Neuro-Fuzzy controller are outlined and an optimum Neuro-Fuzzy controller is structured and presented. To test our developed controller for a nonlinear problem, having coupling effects, a 2 DOF helicopter model is chosen. Also to show the robustness, the controller performance which is applied to a 2 DOF helicopter is investigated and compared with other Neuro-Fuzzy controller structures. To better show NFC performance, NFC control results were compared with LQR+I. It is observed that besides being on-line adaptive for all systems, the controller developed has many priorities such as noiseless, strong stability, and better response time.
A new segmentation method for non-ideal iris images using morphological reconstruction FCM based on improved DSA
Authors: Rapaka Satish , Rajesh Kumar P. , Katta Miranji , Lakshminarayana K. , Bhupesh Kumar N. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn any accurate iris recognition system segmentation of iris plays a vital role. The noise, specular reflections, eyelid/eyelash obstruction, and intensity inhomogeneities in an image make the segmentation more difficult. In this paper, a novel technique is proposed to segment the iris from images that are taken under uncooperative image conditions. The proposed method segments the image in two stages. Firstly, Morphological reconstruction fuzzy c-means clustering (MRFCM) based on an improved differential search algorithm is implemented before the segmentation step. The MRFCM can preserve image contours even in the presence of noise. Secondly, the iris is isolated from the undesired regions of an eye image by implementing geodesic active contours driven by a modified stopping criterion on the resultant images of the pre-segmentation step. The accuracy of the method presented has been tested on the databases such as CASIAv3-Interval, UBIRISv1, MMU1, IITDv1, and MICHE-I. The segmentation accuracy has been demonstrated and compared with other existing methods present in the literature. The obtained results are promising and the proposed model is outperformed the existing methods.
Capacitive behavior of functionalized activated carbon-based all-solid-state supercapacitor
Authors: Lee Kyu Seok , Seo Ye Ji , Jeong Hyeon Taek 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn this report, we incorporate activated carbon (AC) onto aluminum substrate via doctor blade method to produce an all-solid-state supercapacitor. The electrochemical properties of the all-solid-state supercapacitor were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Galvanostatic charge/discharge tests also were carried out to exhibit stability of the AC-based supercapacitor. The impedance and charge/discharge curves of the all-solid-state supercapacitor showed good capacitive behavior after functionalized AC. The highest specific capacitance obtained for the AC-based supercapacitor was 106 F g−1. About 160% of specific capacitance increased after functionalization of the AC, which indicated that modification of the AC by nitric acid was able to introduce functional groups on the AC and improve its electrochemical performances.
The Suggestive Effect of Apo A, Apo B, and Apo A/Apo B on Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Li Xiucheng , Li Dongjie 
Published: January 2021

ABSTRACTBackgroundErectile dysfunction (ED) is closely related to coronary heart disease (CHD). Apolipoprotein (Apo) A1, Apo B, and Apo A/Apo B are known to be predictive factors for CHD. They are not yet a definite laboratory marker for the diagnosis of ED in cardiology. Therefore, we investigated the association between Apo A1, Apo B, and Apo A/Apo B, and ED.AimTo investigate the association between Apo A, Apo B, and Apo A/Apo B and the severity of ED.MethodsA total of 152 ED patients and 39 healthy control participants underwent a fasting blood draw to test for Apo A, Apo B, and Apo A/Apo B and a detailed laboratory examination. The International Erectile Function Index (IIEF-5) was used to determine the severity of ED. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to identify the cutoff values for Apo A, Apo B, and Apo A/Apo B. Each questionnaire was completed before any diagnosis was made or treatment performed.OutcomesSeveral lipid profile indicators (Apo A, Apo B, Apo A/Apo B, lipoprotein (a), free fatty acids, and total cholesterol) were studied, along with several questionnaires.RESULTSIn our study, the number of patients with no ED, mild ED, mild-to-moderate ED, and moderate-to-severe ED were 39 (20.4%), 58 (30.4%), 36 (18.8%), and 58 (30.4%), respectively. Apo A and Apo A/Apo B were significantly reduced in patients with more severe ED (P = .037 and P &lt; .001, respectively), while Apo B was significantly increased in patients with more severe ED (P = .002). According to the ROC curve, Apo A/Apo B had a medium diagnostic value for risk of ED with an AUC of 0.743 (95% CI: 0.68–0.80). For moderate-to-severe ED, 3 apolipoprotein indexes, including Apo B, Apo A, and Apo A/Apo B had medium diagnostic performance with AUCs of 0.759 (95% CI: 0.66–0.84), 0.703 (95% CI: 0.60–0.79), and 0.808 (95% CI: 0.72–0.88), respectively.Clinical implicationsOur results can inform cardiologists in the assessment of ED in patients with CHD.Strengths and limitationsThis study is the first to investigate the association between apolipoprotein and ED in China. The major limitations are that our sample size was too small to have matched controls without ED for different Apo levels.CONCLUSIONOur results showed that Apo B, Apo A, and Apo A/Apo B can be used as markers to evaluate the risk of ED and that these proteins play an important role in the etiology of ED.
Two decades after Korpi and Palme’s “paradox of redistribution”: What have we learned so far and where do we take it from here?
Authors: Gugushvili Dimitri , Laenen Tijs 
Published: January 2021

AbstractOver two decades ago, Korpi and Palme (1998) published one of the most influential papers in the history of social policy discipline, in which they put forward a “paradox of redistribution”: the more countries target welfare resources exclusively at the poor, the less redistribution is actually achieved and the less income inequality and poverty are reduced. The current paper provides a state-of-the-art review of empirical research into that paradox. More specifically, we break down the paradox into seven core assumptions, which together form a causal chain running from institutional design to redistributive outcomes. For each causal assumption, we offer a comprehensive and critical review of the relevant empirical literature, also including a broader range of studies that do not aim to address Korpi and Palme’s paradox per se, but are nevertheless informative about it.
The effect of a fresh produce incentive paired with cooking and nutrition education on healthy eating in low-income households: a pilot study
Authors: Fertig Angela R , Tang Xuyang , Dahlen Heather M 
Published: January 2021

AbstractObjective:This study pilot-tested combining financial incentives to purchase fruits and vegetables with nutrition education focused on cooking to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables and improve attitudes around healthy eating on a budget among low-income adults. The goal of the pilot study was to examine implementation feasibility and fidelity, acceptability of the intervention components by participants and effectiveness.Design:The study design was a pre-post individual-level comparison without a control group. The pilot intervention included two components, a scan card providing free produce up to a weekly maximum dollar amount for use over a 2-month period, and two sessions of tailored nutrition and cooking education. Outcomes included self-reported attitudes about healthy eating and daily fruit and vegetable consumption from one 24-h dietary recall collected before and after the intervention.Setting:Greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area in Minnesota.Participants:Adults (n 120) were recruited from five community food pantries.Results:Findings indicated that the financial incentive component of the intervention was highly feasible and acceptable to participants, but attendance at the nutrition education sessions was moderate. Participants had a statistically significant increase in the consumption of fruit, from an average of 1·00 cup/d to 1·78 cups/d (P < 0·001), but no significant change in vegetable consumption or attitudes with respect to their ability to put together a healthy meal.Conclusions:While combining financial incentives with nutrition education appears to be acceptable to low-income adult participants, barriers to attend nutrition education sessions need to be addressed in future research.
Delirium is associated with an increased morbidity and in-hospital mortality in cancer patients: Results from a prospective cohort study
Authors: Seiler Annina , Blum David , Deuel Jeremy Werner , Hertler Caroline , Schettle Markus , Zipser Carl Moritz , Ernst Jutta , Schubert Maria , von Känel Roland , Boettger Soenke 
Published: January 2021

AbstractObjectiveDelirium is a frequent complication in advanced cancer patients, among whom it is frequently underdiagnosed and inadequately treated. To date, evidence on risk factors and the prognostic impact of delirium on outcomes remains sparse in this patient population.MethodIn this prospective observational cohort study at a single tertiary-care center, 1,350 cancer patients were enrolled. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were utilized to identify associations between predisposing and precipitating factors and delirium. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate the effect of delirium on death rate.ResultsIn our patient cohort, the prevalence of delirium was 34.3%. Delirium was associated inter alia with prolonged hospitalization, a doubling of care requirements, increased healthcare costs, increased need for institutionalization (OR 3.22), and increased mortality (OR 8.78). Predisposing factors for delirium were impaired activity (OR 10.82), frailty (OR 4.75); hearing (OR 2.23) and visual impairment (OR 1.89), chronic pneumonitis (OR 2.62), hypertension (OR 1.46), and renal insufficiency (OR 1.82). Precipitating factors were acute renal failure (OR 7.50), pressure sores (OR 3.78), pain (OR 2.86), and cystitis (OR 1.32). On multivariate Cox regression, delirium increased the mortality risk sixfold (HR 5.66). Age ≥ 65 years and comorbidities further doubled the mortality risk of delirious patients (HR 1.77; HR 2.05).Significance of resultsDelirium is common in cancer patients and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Systematically categorizing predisposing and precipitating factors might yield new strategies for preventing and managing delirium in cancer patients.
Toward a differentiation-based framework for middle power behavior
Authors: Teo Sarah 
Published: January 2021

AbstractDifferentiation is a foundational premise in the study of middle powers, as evident in the way that the relevant literature distinguishes these states from the great powers and smaller states. Despite the underlying assumption of differentiation, the middle power literature has rarely engaged theoretically with the concept. This paper seeks to make more explicit this basis of differentiation in the study of middle powers, by advancing a new framework for middle power behavior that draws on differentiation theory. The framework makes the case that it is the differentiated structure in international politics – a departure from the dominant neorealist understanding of structure – that enables the behavior of middle powers. The effects of this differentiated structure are activated by the relative, relational, and social power politics that middle powers engage in, in a particular time and place. Through this process, middle powers are able to leverage their ‘middlepowerness’ in international politics by weakening stratification particularly where the great powers are concerned, and strengthening functional differentiation through taking on key and distinctive roles. By putting differentiation at the core of a framework for middle power behavior, the paper strives to make a constructive contribution to the theorizing of middle powers.
A model of optimal timing for a predictive adaptive response
Authors: Spencer Hamish G. , Pleasants Anthony B. , Gluckman Peter D. , Wake Graeme C. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractPredictive adaptive responses (PARs) are a form of developmental plasticity in which the developmental response to an environmental cue experienced early in life is delayed and yet, at the same time, the induced phenotype anticipates (i.e., is completely developed before) exposure to the eventual environmental state predicted by the cue, in which the phenotype is adaptive. We model this sequence of events to discover, under various assumptions concerning the cost of development, what lengths of delay, developmental time, and anticipation are optimal. We find that in many scenarios modeled, development of the induced phenotype should be completed at the exact same time that the environmental exposure relevant to the induced phenotype begins: that is, in contrast to our observed cases of PARs, there should be no anticipation. Moreover, unless slow development is costly, development should commence immediately after the cue: there should be no delay. Thus, PARs, which normally have non-zero delays and/or anticipation, are highly unusual. Importantly, the exceptions to these predictions of zero delays and anticipation occurred when developmental time was fixed and delaying development was increasingly costly. We suggest, therefore, that PARs will only evolve under three kinds of circumstances: (i) there are strong timing constraints on the cue and the environmental status, (ii) delaying development is costly, and development time is either fixed or slow development is costly, or (iii) when the period between the cue and the eventual environmental change is variable and the cost of not completing development before the change is high. These predictions are empirically testable.