bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Application of discontinuity layout optimization method to bearing capacity of shallow foundations on rock masses
Authors: Millán Miguel Angel , Galindo Rubén , Alencar Ana 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe discontinuity layout optimization (DLO) method is applied to obtain the bearing capacity of rock masses where it is necessary to consider a non‐linear resistance law. In rock mechanics, it is widely accepted the modified Hoek & Brown failure criterion, developed for homogeneous and isotropic rock masses. The results obtained with the DLO method are compared with those obtained from the analytical solution and using the finite differences method (FDM). To validate the DLO numerical method, the same hypotheses of the analytical solution are adopted: plane strain conditions, associated flow rule, Hoek & Brown material, and weightless rock. The research analyses the results of a numerical and analytical study based on a sensitivity study varying the three parameters that characterize the rock mass (rock type, uniaxial compressive strength, and geological strength index) and shows the need to adopt an adequate linearization of the non‐linear failure criterion in the numerical calculations. Furthermore, numerical results are obtained considering the self‐weight of the rock mass, using both DLO, considering the intermediate secant linearization proposed in this investigation, and FDM, implemented in a widely accepted geotechnical software. After comparing the results, the advantages and limitations of the DLO method are pointed out.
Benchmarking the difference of moving follower and normal loads on linear and nonlinear Euler‐Bernoulli and Timoshenko beams
Authors: Avetisyan Ara S. , Khurshudyan Asatur Zh. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this short note, we compare the influence of follower and normal loads moving over a simply supported beam in case when the transverse shear deformation or von Kármán strains or both are taken into account. Eventually, beyond elasticity limit, there is not a significant difference between the influences of these loads.
Earthquakes Influenced by Water
Authors: Wang Chi-Yuen , Manga Michael 
Published: May 2021

AbstractInjecting fluids in the crust, or their extraction, changes pore pressure and poroelastic stresses. Both pressure and stress changes can promote seismicity and, hence, the seismic events are called induced earthquakes. The filling of reservoirs on Earth’s surface can also induce earthquakes from some combination of surface loading and pore pressure changes. Attribution of any given earthquake to human activities, however, is not always straightforward. There remains debate about what controls the magnitude of induced earthquakes, the relative importance of pore pressure changes and poroelastic stresses, and how to best manage injection and extraction to minimize seismicity. As the scale and distribution of subsurface engineering expand globally, we should expect more and larger induced earthquakes in the future.
Defining carotid near-occlusion with full collapse: a pooled analysis
Authors: Johansson Elias , Gu Thomas , Fox Allan J. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Purpose
Create a new definition of near-occlusion with full collapse to predicting recurrent stroke.

Methods
Pooled analysis of two studies. Patients with symptomatic ≥ 50% carotid stenoses were included. Outcome was preoperative recurrent ipsilateral ischemic stroke or retinal artery occlusion within 28 days of presenting event. We analyzed several artery diameters on computed tomography angiography and stenosis velocity on ultrasound.

Results
A total of 430 patients with symptomatic ≥ 50% carotid stenosis were included, 27% had near-occlusion. By traditional definition, 27% with full collapse and 11% without full collapse reached the outcome (p = 0.047). Distal internal carotid artery (ICA) diameter, ICA ratio, and ICA-to-external carotid artery ratio were associated with the outcome. Best new definition of full collapse was distal ICA diameter ≤ 2.0 mm and/or ICA ratio ≤ 0.42. With this new definition, 36% with full collapse and 4% without full collapse reached the outcome (p < 0.001).

Conclusions
Defining near-occlusion with full collapse as distal ICA diameter ≤ 2.0 mm and/or ICA ratio ≤ 0.42 seems to yield better prognostic discrimination than the traditional appearance-based definition. This novel definition can be used in prognostic and treatment studies of near-occlusion with full collapse.
Clinical outcomes in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia treated with ponatinib in routine clinical practice—data from a Belgian registry
Authors: Devos Timothy , Havelange Violaine , Theunissen Koen , Meers Stef , Benghiat Fleur Samantha , Gadisseur Alain , Vanstraelen Gaëtan , Vellemans Hélène , Bailly Benjamin , Granacher Nikki , Lewalle Philippe , De Becker Ann , Van Eygen Koen , Janssen Mia , Triffet Agnes , Vrelust Inge , Deeren Dries , Mazure Dominiek , Bekaert Julie , Beck Michael , Selleslag Dominik 
Published: May 2021

AbstractData on clinical use of ponatinib are limited. This prospective registry aimed to evaluate outcomes of ponatinib treatment in routine practice over 3 years (2016–2019) in Belgium (NCT03678454). Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated with ponatinib per current label. Fifty patients (33 CML and 17 Ph+ ALL) were enrolled. Fifty-five percent of CML and 29% of Ph+ ALL patients had received ≥3 prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Reasons for starting ponatinib were intolerance (40%), relapse or refractoriness (28%) to previous TKIs, progression (16%), or T315I mutation (16%). Median follow-up was 15 months for CML and 4.5 months for Ph+ ALL patients. Best response was a major molecular response in 58% of CML and 41% of Ph+ ALL patients. Of 20 patients who started ponatinib due to intolerance to previous TKIs, 9 (64%) CML and 4 (67%) Ph+ ALL achieved a major molecular response. Three-year estimates of overall survival were 85.3% and 85.6%, respectively, in CML and Ph+ ALL patients; estimated progression-free survival was 81.6% and 48.9%. Adverse reactions were reported in 34 patients (68%); rash (26%) and dry skin (10%) were most common. Reported cardiovascular adverse reactions included vascular stenosis (3), arterial hypertension (2), chest pain (1), palpitations (1), and vascular occlusion (1). This Belgian registry confirms results from the PACE clinical trial and supports routine ponatinib use in CML and Ph+ ALL patients who are resistant or intolerant to previous TKIs or with the T315I mutation.
Rheumatoid factor and falsely elevated results in commercial immunoassays: data from an early arthritis cohort
Authors: Gehin Johanna E. , Klaasen Rolf A. , Norli Ellen S. , Warren David J. , Syversen Silje W. , Goll Guro L. , Bjøro Trine , Kvien Tore K. , Mjaavatten Maria D. , Bolstad Nils 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe aim of the study was to assess RF cross-reactivity to animal antibodies used in immunoassays, and to test if selected commercial immunoassays are vulnerable to interference from RF, causing false test results. Our study included samples from patients with RF-positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and controls (patients with RF-negative RA and psoriatic arthritis), included in an early arthritis-cohort. Reactivity to mouse IgG1, mouse IgG2a, rabbit IgG, bovine IgG, sheep/goat IgG and human IgG was analysed using in-house interference assays. RF-positive sera with strong reactivity to mouse IgG1 were analysed in three commercial immunoassays. To reveal interference, results before and after addition of blocking aggregated murine IgG1 were compared. Samples from 124 RF-positive RA patients and 66 controls were tested. We found considerably stronger reactivity toward animal antibodies, particularly mouse IgG1 (73% vs. 12%) and rabbit IgG (81% vs. 6%), in sera from RF-positive RA-patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). After selecting samples for testing in commercial assays, interference was revealed in 6/30 sera in the Architect β-hCG assay, 7/10 sera in the 27-plex cytokine assays, and in 2/33 samples in the Elecsys Soluble Transferrin Receptor assay. Our study revealed considerable RF reactivity to animal antibodies used in immunoassays and RF was associated with falsely elevated results in immunoassays used in clinical care and research. Clinicians, laboratorians, researchers and assay manufacturers must be alert to the risk of falsely elevated test results in RF-positive RA patients.
q-Powders: a quick test for screening retronasal olfactory disorders with tasteless powders
Authors: Pieniak Michal , Oleszkiewicz Anna , Klockow Marie , Yoshino Ayaho , Haehner Antje , Hummel Thomas 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the clinical utility of q-Powders—a retronasal identification screening test.

Methods
A total of 156 subjects (92 females, mean age: 54.5 years ± 17.3 years) completed a 3-item q-Powders retronasal identification test and a 16-items Sniffin’ Sticks orthonasal identification test. We analyzed whether the q-Powders test could differentiate between subjects with normosmia and subjects with an olfactory disorder.

Results
Our data indicated that subjects with an olfactory disorder scored lower in the q-Powders test than subjects with normosmia. The analyses revealed q-Powders test sensitivity of 84% and a test specificity of 64.9% with a score of 2 points taken as a cutoff for olfactory disorders.

Conclusion
The 3-item q-Powders retronasal test may be used for screening purposes in clinical research.

Level of evidence
4
Visualization of small visceral arteries on abdominal CT angiography using ultra-high-resolution CT scanner
Authors: Ogawa Kazuya , Onishi Hiromitsu , Hori Masatoshi , Nakamoto Atsushi , Ota Takashi , Fukui Hideyuki , Tatsumi Mitsuaki , Enchi Yukihiro , Sato Kazuhiko , Kaketaka Koki , Tomiyama Noriyuki 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the image quality and ability to delineate the small visceral arteries of high-resolution (HR) abdominal CT angiography (CTA) using an ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (UHR CT) scanner.

Materials and methods
Thirty-seven patients were enrolled who underwent abdominal CTA using a UHR CT scanner. The images were reconstructed with a matrix of 1024 × 1024 and 0.25 mm thickness for HR CTA and with a matrix of 512 × 512 and 0.5 mm thickness for normal resolution (NR) CTA. Maximum CT value, image quality, and delineation of the small arteries were compared between HR CTA and NR CTA.

Results
HR CTA showed significantly higher maximum CT value, higher image quality, and better delineation of the small arteries than did NR CTA (P < .005).

Conclusion
HR CTA using a UHR CT scanner showed higher image quality than NR CTA and enhanced the delineation of visceral arteries.
Die folgenreiche Verwechslung von Teams, Cliquen und Gruppen
Authors: Kühl Stefan 
Published: May 2021

ZusammenfassungIn der Organisationsforschung wird häufig nicht systematisch zwischen Teams, Cliquen und Gruppen unterschieden. Grund dafür ist die lange Zeit dominierende Bestimmung von Gruppen allein über die Anzahl von Personen, die in einem regelmäßigen sozialen Austausch miteinander stehen. In diesem Artikel der Zeitschrift „Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation (GIO)“ wird eine systemtheoretisch informierte Unterscheidung zwischen verschiedenen Systemen im Kontext von Organisationen vorgeschlagen. Bei Teams handelt es sich demzufolge um formale Subeinheiten von Organisationen. Cliquen können als kristallisierte Form von Informalität in Organisationen verstanden werden. Unterdessen können sich Gruppen – hier bestimmt über personenbezogene Erwartungsbildung – als „Parasit“ im Kontext von Organisationen ausbilden, müssen dabei aber keine Funktion für die Organisation erfüllen. Unter Berücksichtigung der verschiedenen Bedeutungen von Mitgliedschaft, Hierarchien und Zwecken werden Unterschiede der drei Systemtypen aufgezeigt und der Nutzen dieser Differenzierung für die Forschung und Praxis aufgezeigt.
Metabo-tip: a metabolomics platform for lifestyle monitoring supporting the development of novel strategies in predictive, preventive and personalised medicine
Authors: Brunmair Julia , Bileck Andrea , Stimpfl Thomas , Raible Florian , Del Favero Giorgia , Meier-Menches Samuel M. , Gerner Christopher 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackground/aimsExposure to bioactive compounds from nutrition, pharmaceuticals, environmental contaminants or other lifestyle habits may affect the human organism. To gain insight into the effects of these influences, as well as the fundamental biochemical mechanisms behind them, individual molecular profiling seems to be a promising tool and may support the further development of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine.MethodsWe developed an assay, called metabo-tip for the analysis of sweat, collected from fingertips, using mass spectrometry—by far the most comprehensive and sensitive method for such analyses. To evaluate this assay, we exposed volunteers to various xenobiotics using standardised protocols and investigated their metabolic response.ResultsAs early as 15 min after the consumption of a cup of coffee, 50 g of dark chocolate or a serving of citrus fruits, significant changes in the sweat composition of the fingertips were observed, providing relevant information in regard to the ingested substances. This included not only health-promoting bioactive compounds but also potential hazardous substances. Furthermore, the identification of metabolites from orally ingested medications such as metamizole indicated the applicability of this assay to observe specific enzymatic processes in a personalised fashion. Remarkably, we found that the sweat composition fluctuated in a diurnal rhythm, supporting the hypothesis that the composition of sweat can be influenced by endogenous metabolic activities. This was further corroborated by the finding that histamine was significantly increased in the metabo-tip assay in individuals with allergic reactions.ConclusionMetabo-tip analysis may have a large number of practical applications due to its analytical power, non-invasive character and the potential of frequent sampling, especially regarding the individualised monitoring of specific lifestyle and influencing factors. The extraordinarily rich individualised metabolomics data provided by metabo-tip offer direct access to individual metabolic activities and will thus support predictive preventive personalised medicine.
Nothing but coincidences: the point-coincidence and Einstein’s struggle with the meaning of coordinates in physics
Authors: Giovanelli Marco 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn his 1916 review paper on general relativity, Einstein made the often-quoted oracular remark that all physical measurements amount to a determination of coincidences, like the coincidence of a pointer with a mark on a scale. This argument, which was meant to express the requirement of general covariance, immediately gained great resonance. Philosophers such as Schlick found that it expressed the novelty of general relativity, but the mathematician Kretschmann deemed it as trivial and valid in all spacetime theories. With the relevant exception of the physicists of Leiden (Ehrenfest, Lorentz, de Sitter, and Nordström), who were in epistolary contact with Einstein, the motivations behind the point-coincidence remark were not fully understood. Only at the turn of the 1960s did Bergmann (Einstein’s former assistant in Princeton) start to use the term ‘coincidence’ in a way that was much closer to Einstein’s intentions. In the 1980s, Stachel, projecting Bergmann’s analysis onto his historical work on Einstein’s correspondence, was able to show that what he started to call ‘the point-coincidence argument’ was nothing but Einstein’s answer to the infamous ‘hole argument’. The latter has enjoyed enormous popularity in the following decades, reshaping the philosophical debate on spacetime theories. The point-coincidence argument did not receive comparable attention. By reconstructing the history of the argument and its reception, this paper argues that this disparity of treatment is not justified. This paper will also show that the notion that only coincidences are observable in physics marks every critical step of Einstein’s struggle with the meaning of coordinates in physics.
Association of Childhood Socioeconomic Status with Leukocyte Telomere Length Among African Americans and the Mediating Role of Behavioral and Psychosocial Factors: Results from the GENE-FORECAST Study
Authors: Khan Rumana J , Needham Belinda L , Advani Shailesh , Brown Kristen , Dagnall Casey , Xu Ruihua , Gibbons Gary H. , Davis Sharon K. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Purpose
We examined if childhood socioeconomic status (SES) was related to adult leucocyte telomere length (TL) using the data of 361 African American (AA) participants from the GENE-FORECAST Study. We also assessed the mediating role of behavioral and psychosocial factors in the association between childhood SES and adult TL.

Methods
Childhood SES was assessed individually by using participant’s mother’s education and occupation, father’s education and occupation, parental home ownership, and family structure. TL was assessed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. Information on potential confounders and mediators were collected. The associations of childhood SES with TL were assessed using multivariable linear regression models. We used path analysis to quantify and test the share of these associations that was statistically explained by each of the mediators (participant’s educational attainment, smoking status, physical activity, dietary habit, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms).

Results
Mother’s education was associated with longer average TL (β: 0.021; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.04, p=0.038) in confounder adjusted models. Once mediators were introduced in the model, the estimates were reduced and remained marginally significant (β: 0.017; 95% CI: −0.003, 0.038, p=0.061). According to path model, approximately 19% of the effect of mother’s education on TL (β: 0.004; 95% CI: −0.001, 0.01, p < 0.10) was mediated through participant’s own education level. No significant mediation effect was observed for any other mediators.

Conclusions
These data provide evidence that participant’s mother’s education was positively linked to adult TL in AA population. Participant’s own educational level partially explained this association.
Improving data communication on construction sites via LoRaWAN
Authors: Dai Rushi , Diraneyya Orwa , Brell-Çokcan Sigrid 
Published: May 2021

AbstractEasily-accessible and reliable data communication in construction processes ensures high building quality, efficient workflow and secure working environments. The setup of network infrastructure on construction sites provides the necessary condition for timely and effective data communication. This paper researches a solution for on-site networking by implementing an IoT network on a reference construction site in Germany. In contrast to high-cost and high-bandwidth network infrastructure, a Long Range Wide Area Network–LoRaWAN with low cost and low bandwidth was deployed on the site. With additional IoT servers and LoRa-enabled devices, the reference construction site is able to communicate remotely with a robotic lab. In order to validate this concept of LoRaWAN on construction sites, an intra-site logistics and task scheduling system was developed to test the network performance. This paper conducts a preliminary study on the application of the IoT network technology–LoRaWAN in the logistics automation in construction. The test results can be used as references for other automation applications, such as internet of robot, intelligent process management, decision making system, etc.
COVID-19 pneumonia: current evidence of chest imaging features, evolution and prognosis
Authors: Larici Anna Rita , Cicchetti Giuseppe , Marano Riccardo , Bonomo Lorenzo , Storto Maria Luigia 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCOVID-19 pneumonia represents a global threatening disease, especially in severe cases. Chest imaging, with X-ray and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), plays an important role in the initial evaluation and follow-up of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Chest imaging can also help in assessing disease severity and in predicting patient’s outcome, either as an independent factor or in combination with clinical and laboratory features. This review highlights the current knowledge of imaging features of COVID-19 pneumonia and their temporal evolution over time, and provides recent evidences on the role of chest imaging in the prognostic assessment of the disease.
Dead level contour technical design parameters required for sustainable crop production in semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe
Authors: Gumbo Douglas , Wuta Menas , Nyagumbo Isaiah 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSmallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly exposed to risks such as erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, and frequent droughts that threaten sustainable crop production. This study assessed the effectiveness of dead level contours with innovations (DLC INN), dead level contours with infiltration pits (DLC INFIL), dead level contours with open channels (DLC OPEN) and standard graded contours (SGCs) in harvesting and storing water in the channel, and improving crop conditions during the critical stages of maize growth on different soil textural groups in the Zvishavane District of Zimbabwe. The DLC INFIL, DLC OPEN and DLC INN outperformed the SGC under medium- and heavy-textured soils, with yields ranging between 1.7 and 2.36 t/ha compared to 0.9 t/ha for the SGC. For light textured soils, the DLC INN had the highest maize yield, averaging 0.8 t/ha. On heavy textured soils using DLC INN, DLC INFIL and DLC OPEN, smallholder farmers may use a spacing interval of 24–27 m. On medium textured soils, DLC INN and DLC INFIL can be used at a spacing interval of 18–21 m and 12 to 15 m with DLC OPEN. On light textured soils, farmers are advised to invest in DLC INN only, using a spacing interval of 12–15 m.